Trade & FA 2024-25:

[SleepingHero]

I'm not saying that I am right, but I would be surprised if they don't make a move. I feel like this is an all in team and if they can improve the team, they will. That's if the right trade presents itself. They won't just throw the 25 #1 away, but if they can add a rotation piece, I can see a move being made. I would throw everything we can at Herbert Jones because I think he could make the difference in a championship or not. He can make life miserable for SGA. I don't know the math for the trade, but I'd do Maxi, Omax, Hardy, our 25 #1 and whatever #2s we can include for him. Start him at the 3 and make Klay our super 6th man whether he likes it or not.

Herbert Jones is the dream but I just don't see why the Pelicans would ever move on from him at his contract. 

BUT lets assume they do want to move on...

Any hypothetical trade would have to start with Gafford. In fact, I'm starting to think any trade the Mavs might make this season will be probably have Gafford as the main piece. Centers are a hot thing right now. Every team wants one, and Gafford would be by far and away the best one on the market should the Mavs make him available. The competition is Timelord, Valanciunas, Nurkic, Capela, Nik Richards, and Duop Reath. Teams are desperate. Gafford would be a starter day 1 for any team that is vying for a center. 

Plus, there are a lot of stats that show Gafford is just not cutting it defensively. Replace him in the lineup instead of Lively and the Mavs fall to 27th in DRTG and a -16 net rating. The bench lineups haven't been great even with Gafford going ballistic in the middle. In games where opposing teams are light in center depth AND don't have any spacing, Gafford feasts. But against good teams with good centers, Gafford is okay. Against teams with stretch shooters, Gafford is almost unplayable. It's difficult, because having that 1-2 punch with Lively is just overwhelming for any opposing team, but if we're trying to improve, this is the best place to take talent from. 

I can see the Pelicans talking themselves into a fast forwarded rebuild with grabbing Gafford as a starting center given that they have zero centers currently (I mean Missi is okay, Theis is meh. But not good enough at all). Plus, Jones is having a down year, barely hitting 31% on 3s and his value on a tanking team diminishes. Plus they have Trey Murphy just waiting there to take his place if needed...


As for the Mavs, getting Jones complicates stuff. Obviously a good complication, but now we really have to find out who is worth starting. PJ? Klay? I don't think either would be happy with a move to the bench. Even more so given that our starting lineup, when healthy, is undefeated and a current +22 net rating. Why mess with that? Would Jones be happy on the bench? I'm not too sure. Truthfully why are trading for Jones if he's only going to play 24mpg?

If we sent PJ to the bench, I'm not so convinced that the Mavs starting lineup is better off. Sure we get better defensively, but PJ is a helluva rebounder and box out player. Jones isn't that at all. But there is a world where the Mavs closing lineup is Luka/Kyrie/Jones/PJ/Lively and that is tantalizing. Heck even Luka/Kyrie/Klay/Jones/Lively looks good. 

Anyways I'm rambling. Not sure what to do here.