Trade & FA 2025-26: Free Agency Starts 5pm CST/6pm EST

[Mavs2021]

Lets say its Lindsey (the only name mentioned so far).  Do you think he trades AD?

He´ll definitely have the authority to make all the tough decisions, cause I assume those assurances will be necessary to get him out of the cushy Detroit job.

He ultimately would trade him and Klay imho. The Mavs should identify the team that will give them the highest 2026 pick and work from there. The Mavs need to get as much hope into the building as possible. This fanbase can´t eat the 2029 Hawks 1st round pick.

I´m also usually in the full proper rebuild mode, but I don´t think it´s the smart play here. Simply because you´ll have to get a lot of salary back for AD, so might as well get some functional basketball players, too. 

Kings would have to be Lavine/DeRozan+ Kings 1st.
Hornets would have to be Bridges + Sexton + Green + better of the Hornets or Suns 1st.

I think the only goal should be tank hard, so you are virtually guaranteed a top 7 pick on your own and find another pick that will potentially be in the lower end of the lottery (Kings, Hornets, Hawks, Suns). That´s what I´d try to accomplish. Then I start the next season in win now mode with the young core and all the vets. Plenty of time to sell off Kyrie, DeRozan, Lavine, Washington or Gafford. But it´s also a pretty damn nice supporting cast for Flagg, if he is indeed the one.