Trade & FA 2024-25:

[F Gump]

This rumor has surprised me. 

Not only is it kind of difficult to match salaries, but the Mavs being willing to trade a first jumped off the screen for me. Who could they be targeting??

Yeah, just finding a "who" that seems to make sense from the various angles is a real challenge. What hole would they want to fill, that's big enough where spending the cost and carving out the minutes for an "impact addition" would be seen as worth it? And who is the player that fits?

I have less issues with the idea of them trading away the 2025 1st. It's a very low first-rounder (in the mid 20s) who presumably will need plenty of development minutes (drafted that low, not likely to get a finished product, although it's not entirely impossible), and do they want to invest? Do they even have the roster spot for the guy? Or will they be more open to keeping their 2nd (currently about 37)? I actually think they will end up with only one pick at most, whether that means selling, combining in a trade for a move up, swapping 2025 pick for future 1st, or something else, so using in a trade for a needed player to me fits that sort of mindset.