2025 draft thread: THE MAVS SELECT COOPER FLAGG

[SleepingHero]

It feels like a PJ trade is probably coming.  Sadly, we will probably be looking for someone just like PJ next to Flagg three seasons from now when AD is done.  PJ would still be under 30 at that point.

Or, you trade Gafford and force AD to get some of his minutes at C and some at PF.  Then you have Lively and three guys in AD, Flagg and PJ who can play up or down a position.  

I'm not sure which one I'm rooting for.  It does feel like we need to send out one for someone in the Sexton/White neighborhood.  I'm anxiously awaiting FG's apron numbers with the top pick included.  I've gotten kind of lazy and don't want to relearn all of these new apron rules.  I think we are destined to be a second apron team, so some added complexity to what we can/can't do on the trade front.

Mavs without Kyrie's caphold are currently sitting at roughly ~160 mil in total roster salary factoring in B-Will's extension. Cooper Flagg's 1st overall pick contract will be 4 years 63 mil, with a starting salary of 13.8 mil.

That puts the Mavs right at 173mil in total roster salary BEFORE Kyrie, Exum, and Dinwiddie. The 1st apron line for next season is $195,946,000 and the 2nd apron is 207,825,000. Could go up a few bucks before the league finalizes everything by July 1st. 

That leaves the Mavs with 23 mil of room below the 1st apron and 34.9 mil of room below the 2nd apron before Kyrie Irving. They also will have 13 players under roster. If Kyrie extends, make that 14. If we want to keep Exum then the team is set at 15.
Marc Stein has already floated that Irving will be getting another deal similar to what he is currently on, which would start him right around 38 mil. That puts the Mavs ~4 mil over the 2nd apron. Kyrie could also do an opt-in and extend type of deal where he opts into the final 42 mil of this year deal and extends on a 2 year 85 mil dollar deal. That is overall a ~3 years 120 mil like he signed last time. That option puts the Mavs closer to 11 mil over the 2nd apron.


Given the 2nd apron is so unstomachable, I imagine we are going to see some consolidation trades where the team finds a guard using PJ and or Gafford. And we trim the fat contract wise with Hardy, OMax, and Martin where we attempt to trade them for draft capital. Another option is to just trade Gafford and/or PJ for draft capital and rely on the younger guys to fill their roles.


We have such a glut of forwards now with very little playing time since Flagg will be getting the majority of them.