12-29-2025, 01:10 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-29-2025, 01:13 PM by KillerLeft.)
(12-29-2025, 01:01 PM)Mavs2021 Wrote: The choice is either Young or Porzingis.
I highly doubt they'd be acquiring Porzingis for the purpose of keeping him. You either move his expiring in a separate arm of the deal for some other minor asset or you let his money come off the books. In my opinion, either of those options is preferable to having to eat Trae Young's next season. Keeping AD a little longer might be the best option of all, depending on what ATL is actually willing to offer. It's ok if you disagree about Young as a player, because I do think he's on the verge of being underrated, ironically, but I see almost no value in him playing here, and that's coming from someone who has been banging the "they need a PG" drum for months.
Where I completely disagree with you is this idea that he'd be easy to trade after the fact. The Hawks have been trying, and they can't. Is that because nobody wants him? Probably not, but it's the same situation as the other PG's suddenly flooding the market. Nobody wants to ADD salary for him, and the Hawks NEED to reduce salary. I think it's logical and reasonable to assume the Mavs will be in that very same situation, at least temporarily. If you're moving off of AD because you're admitting you're not as good as you hoped, isn't THAT the time to get out of apron hell, at least, if not all the way out of the tax? If not then, while you embark on the journey of remaking a team around an 18 year old, then WHEN?
Do you honestly expect them to be among the most expensive rosters in the league every year, no matter what the circumstances are? I don't, and I say that with respect for their competency (even if it's just hopeful respect, at this point) rather than disdain for their potential cheapness. This IS the smart time to think frugally, imo.