MAVS NEWS:

[Smitty]

If I were trying to have this level of expiring contracts for outgoing next summer (along with picks), then I’d be focused on Powell, OMax and Martin as the outgoing in any deal now.  We hear a lot about Powell and OMax.  We don’t hear much about Martin.  

But, if you think about it, he’s probably the one most impacted by our lottery luck.  Cooper Flagg pushes him out of the top 10 in the rotation with everyone healthy.  Someone taken around #11 wouldn’t have done that.  Obviously, they didn’t know they were getting Flagg and envisioned a bigger role for Martin than the one that is available.  I just wonder why we don’t hear more from Stein et al about Martin.  Martin + either OMax or Powell would fit into another teams MLE…but how has an MLE and two open roster spots at this point.

That's why I've moved off of thinking the Mavs would use Gafford for an upgrade and thought more about where Martin could go. To me it's probably less about 'positional need', I just think it's a consolidation of players for a clear upgrade to the top 10, while also clearing a roster spot(s). That's why I've been focused on the Herb Jones deal. 

The Pels roster is just as unbalanced as the Mavs, except I think the Mavs want, and like their current construction. I don't see Nico going after a ball-dominant guard any time soon, just a 6'5+ legit 2-way kind of guy.