Trade & FA 2024-25:

[KillerLeft]

How? What are we offering then for Butler? How do we match salaries?

Maybe it doesn't add up to Butler, I'm still processing, but THIS MUCH is clear:

1) Luka didn't do this - the Mavs did. 

2) It came completely out of left field. Totally off the radar. That means the Lakers were very likely their FIRST call, and Kidd has worked with AD before. Kyrie probably knows him pretty well. 

3) They didn't create a bidding war for draft capital and young talent. They TARGETED AD, meaning they reached a point where they wanted Davis MORE than they wanted Luka. (Right or wrong, that should tell us something about how Luka was viewed by this organization, as an aside). 

4) He's 31, and on a similar timeline to Kyrie. They THINK they can win this year or next...maaaaaybe the one after that. That is now the window. (How's that unprotected pick they sent for Kyrie that none of you cared about looking NOW, btw?)

5) That means (I think) there's a decent chance we see more outgoing players from among the YOUNGER Mavericks and that players Butler's age are all of a sudden not going to seem like a waste of time, because, again, the Mavericks clearly believe their window is NOW.

6) They are VERY, VERY clearly moving away from pick and roll basketball if they're planning to build around Kyrie and AD. I'd say that almost certainly means either Gafford, Lively or BOTH are getting dangled out there right now, as we speak. 

7) AD has always thought of himself (incorrectly) as a 4. I sincerely hope their plan is to play him at center, but if it's not, and If they DON'T move one of the centers, it's a lead pipe cinch that PJ is gone soon. I have NO trouble thinking of a trade for Butler that we don't see coming. I haven't done the math, but...Lively, PJW and Grimes? Does that even get close? Probably not close enough (don't hold it against me, up is now down and I'm not thinking clearly), but my point is that this is very likely the first of a series of moves designed to redirect the titanic, and more quickly than it was designed to turn. 

This is CRAZY. I have a 6 month old puppy that I love. Guess what I named him? Hell, I have a box that arrived today from Amazon with two brand new Mavericks hats in it that I don't know if I even want at the moment.