MAVS NEWS:

[F Gump]

Where I get disconnected is this idea that center is somehow THE position to worry about....

That's why, for me, depth at that position wouldn't take a front seat in my planning.

Nice strawman! No one else here has said the C position is "THE position to worry about" or "a front seat in my planning" either. Instead, 99% of the forum discussion has been over Mavs' need for a PG/offense creator and how best to deal with that. You know that!

Some of us ARE pushing back a lot (!!) vs a push push push to trade away good C's in a knee-jerk surplus sale, and have no wish to squander valuable talent - which is not "a front seat in our planning" but instead a major desire to avoid seeing another round of Nico-ing Mavs' good players.

As for whether real C's generally have only minimal value (which I understand to be YOUR broad mindset), I believe strongly they are VERY desirable if they are good ones.

HOWEVER - Interestingly, NBA analysts are now saying Mavs may be AHEAD of the curve here with manning several C's who are good and who can wear you down, rather than foolish, in seeing how teams now roster build in 2025. So maybe it IS a "front seat in the NBA's planning." Whether you agree or disagree with the conclusion, the observation (and the idea it is probably saying something about current NBA mindset) is valid.

ESPN
One of the biggest (literally) themes of the first week of the offseason is teams doubling down on big men, even if they already seem set at the position.

The Rockets signed Capela even though they already had Sengun and Adams. The San Antonio Spurs picked up Luke Kornet even though they already had Victor Wembanyama. The Denver Nuggets traded for Jonas Valanciunas to be the best backup Nikola Jokic has had in years. The LA Clippers added Brook Lopez to back up Ivica Zubac. The New York Knicks signed Guerschon Yabusele to play with Towns and Mitchell Robinson. The New Orleans Pelicans signed Kevon Looney to split time with promising youngster Yves Missi. The Toronto Raptors extended Jakob Poeltl and signed Sandro Mamukelashvili. The Milwaukee Bucks signed Myles Turner and Jericho Sims, in addition to extending Bobby Portis.

The desire for double-big lineups also appeared on draft night, as two non-playoff teams in the West established long-term duos. The Trail Blazers picked 7-foot-1 project Yang Hansen to pair with 7-foot-2 second-year center Donovan Clingan, while the Phoenix Suns, in quick succession, traded for veteran Mark Williams and drafted Khaman Maluach, the first center off the board.

Other contenders paid to keep their established rotation of bigs intact. The Minnesota Timberwolves re-signed Naz Reid and Julius Randle for a combined $225 million; add in Rudy Gobert, whose extension kicks in this season and the Timberwolves have $334.5 million committed to their bigs, even after trading Towns. And the Memphis Grizzlies retained Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama for a combined $292.5 million.

Moreover, after the Thunder started Isaiah Hartenstein -- a free agent splurge last summer -- and Chet Holmgren together en route to a title, they extended third big Jaylin Williams this week. And the Dallas Mavericks have been super big since trading for Davis; until Kyrie Irving returns from injury, their five best players are all natural power forwards or centers: Davis, newly extended Gafford, Lively, P.J. Washington and No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg.

This leaguewide trend could set up some delightful stylistic clashes for the few teams not following their lead, such as the Lakers and Golden State Warriors. But taken all together, these transactions make one thing very clear: After a decade of small-ball flirtations, big men are back in style -- and not just MVP winners such as Jokic and Joel Embiid, but players of all stripes and levels, as long as they come with the requisite size.