Trade & FA 2024-25:

[Scott41theMavs]

We fans have a problem.

We’re constantly looking for ways to improve our team, and often, that takes the form of “culling” the weakest or poorest performers.

The problem with this approach is that their lowest trade value is precisely when they’re playing poorest.

Did you ever hear that investing adage “Buy low, sell high”? Exactly the opposite approach.

A team’s playoff fortunes probably won’t depend on players 11-15 on the roster anyway. Maybe they get you a couple of regular-season wins filling in for injured guys, but they’re not the meat and potatoes, just the garnishes and side dishes.

That's the problem - I don't want to lose any of the top 8 players on the team. That's Luka, Kai, Lively, PJ, Grimes, Naji, Klay, and Gafford. I would gladly trade Klay away in a package for Butler, but that's not happening - and it's a bad look for the Mavs to get likely their biggest FA in franchise history (pretty much everyone else came in in trades, including draft trades) and trade him away immediately. That's a great way to never have a free agent come here again. In short, trade talk sorta irritates me this year due to what we would likely have to give up. Those first five names on the list are untouchable for me (the fourth and fifth for their fit), and likely Naji as well. Kai likes it here, so trading him would be like trading Klay.