05-21-2025, 11:12 PM
1 I think Lonzo being highly desired in CHI is a ship that has sailed. They wanted to dump him at the deadline, and couldn't find a taker who would offer anything they like. (They leaked that they were getting offers of a FRP. My personal speculation at the time, backed up by rumors reported later, was that the best offers they got entailed them taking a junky matching contract with future years, and they would only get a junk first-rounder). So I believe the re-signing was purely to try to get some value later, rather than let his deal expire, by signing him and then having him show something (hopefully) desirable the rest of the year. Only 1 year, so in case they couldn't trade him they wouldn't be stuck for long.
My point being, from all appearances CHI's preferred plan has been to trade him. BUT instead of showing something good down the stretch, he got hurt AGAIN and didn't play at all.
On that basis, I believe he can be had fairly easily, cheaply, just so long as CHI feels they might be getting something useful. And I think in a Martin-Hardy package, they would see something they like, enough to pull the trigger.
2 He's a risk. It's why he should be available, and be cheap. Not sure he'll have much interest and it might be a waste of a trade for Mavs.
HOWEVER - for me, as proposed (and maybe to include DP), the Mavs do end up with a side benefit that would mitigate that potential downside, which would be that such a trade also offers needed help for Mavs in both payroll and roster space. And it could be a win for CHI too.
3 Gafford is a luxury only if (a) both Lively and AD remain healthy all season, and (b) AD is open to playing a major role at C. I don't have any reason to think either of those is true, or will become true.
4 I like the idea of Black, and would welcome him if available. But his shot is a BIG issue. ORL doesn't want Gafford anyhow, so that's not the trade. And I'm skeptical ATL would want to pay to add Gafford as they already have a C.
5 More relevant than that, I don't expect ORL would have the least interest in trading AB for a junk pick in a shallow draft, and am really skeptical they would have interest in trading him at all.
My point being, from all appearances CHI's preferred plan has been to trade him. BUT instead of showing something good down the stretch, he got hurt AGAIN and didn't play at all.
On that basis, I believe he can be had fairly easily, cheaply, just so long as CHI feels they might be getting something useful. And I think in a Martin-Hardy package, they would see something they like, enough to pull the trigger.
2 He's a risk. It's why he should be available, and be cheap. Not sure he'll have much interest and it might be a waste of a trade for Mavs.
HOWEVER - for me, as proposed (and maybe to include DP), the Mavs do end up with a side benefit that would mitigate that potential downside, which would be that such a trade also offers needed help for Mavs in both payroll and roster space. And it could be a win for CHI too.
3 Gafford is a luxury only if (a) both Lively and AD remain healthy all season, and (b) AD is open to playing a major role at C. I don't have any reason to think either of those is true, or will become true.
4 I like the idea of Black, and would welcome him if available. But his shot is a BIG issue. ORL doesn't want Gafford anyhow, so that's not the trade. And I'm skeptical ATL would want to pay to add Gafford as they already have a C.
5 More relevant than that, I don't expect ORL would have the least interest in trading AB for a junk pick in a shallow draft, and am really skeptical they would have interest in trading him at all.
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