MAVS NEWS:

[KillerLeft]

A simple, straightforward question that I will extrapolate further from based on the responses.

Which situation would you deem more probable?

A. The Nico-led front office makes a few trades and a core of AD, Kyrie and Flagg win a championship in the next two seasons

Or

B. You log onto this site and learn that AD has suffered a season-ending lower body injury in training camp, which, not only snuffs out the team's chances the next two seasons, but crushes his value

Thanks. I'll hang up and listen.

If forced to choose one over the other, based on probability, you have to choose B. But, try to win is what they're GOING TO DO, no matter what we here believe to be the right path. 

And, I personally think it's the right thing to do. Not because I think the team is necessarily well-positioned to make a championship run, but because they're better positioned for that than they are to stockpile meaningful draft picks. If we weren't about to enter the period where their own draft capital is completely mortgaged, I'd be all about using AD/Kyrie/Thompson and possibly some of the other late-20's guys to pile a little more on top, but the reality is that being bad AT THIS SPECIFIC TIME gets you nothing, outside of maybe next year's pick being another lottery dice roll. That one chance doesn't do much for me, and the type of picks they'd get for those guys (other than AD, MAYBE) won't be unprotected, and won't be from bad teams. In other words, they'd be of little value in trades when bundled together and far more likely to result in drafting Jaden Hardy types than Jalen Brunson types if kept. 

Meanwhile, championship or not, a TON can be gained for Flagg by ensuring he at least gets to be around high-functioning, respected pros on a day-to-day over the course of his first contract, and he's very likely to experience a few playoff series during his early years here, at least. That's not an opportunity every #1 pick has, and it could accelerate his growth quite a bit, I think. There's major value in putting him next to a guy like Davis that's being overlooked around here. Value for FLAGG and his longterm career, not just for the next 2-3 seasons. 

It's an absolute no-brainer, from my POV. Now, if the Mavs had access to their own picks over the next several years, I'd at least consider blowing it up. But, they don't, and that bell can't be un-rung by moving anything they have here, I don't think. I mean, you could probably get a few unprotected picks from a team that might be bad FOR FLAGG, but that would obviously defeat the whole purpose.