MAVS NEWS:

[KillerLeft]

Bingo. You've identified the right trade off, it's just that I don't know that I feel confident that mission will be accomplished. 

In fact, I believe I've reached a point where I think it's MORE likely that "a couple of playoff series wins" might be bested on the current course than "starting the contention window a year or two earlier" will actually happen via the other route. That's my thinking at the moment, anyway. I'd at least like to see all three of the guys together for 20 games before I DECIDE they can't contend next season.

Either way, there isn't a "right" way to do this until around 2030, sadly. That's how I feel, anyway, based on currently available information.

I guess the last thing I'd add is this:

If there's not a "right" way to go, I really don't see a "wrong" way, either, at least not in the sense of "ruining" any chances that most of us don't think exist. I don't think it's possible, really, to turn this roster into one of equal talent but young enough to announce "this is the Flagg contention window." I don't think ANY of the paths available are likely to speed up the time between now and a less bare cupboard. So, I'm not sure I see a downside to playing this out. Either way, we're just killing time until they have some bullets to fire...2029, 2030...2031? Later, even? 

For me, this conclusion is liberating, because the conversation then becomes: what reasonable action can they take now to make this team work? If you're worried about trading those far distant picks and lengthening this purgatory, well then I agree with that fear, and I'm opposed to anything like that, especially if it's not for assets that could be here as long as Flagg. Those assets should DEFINITELY not be used for pieces that fit on the Davis/Kyrie timeline, and I doubt you'll find much opposition to that thinking, if any at all. 

But, I don't think PJW, Marshall, Gafford...hell, even Christie are realistically going to be here that long, either. They're all pretty old, relative to Flagg. If you're not getting value offers for Kyrie/AD, why not shuffle those role players (objectively valuable to the right teams) to make the roster fit around the trio of hall of fame talents you have now? What's the difference, if it's all a waiting game anyway? Just make the team make sense and we might be surprised how well it goes, tbh.