MAVS NEWS:

[mvossman]

You and RTG both posted this. Inaccurately. Isn’t there some stat floating around that the Mavs are .500 with AD playing? You’re saying the group (minus Kyrie) has played 39 games together? You don’t think adding Kyrie to AD (who’s .500 when active) makes a difference? Lively is one of your favorite players. He’s a non factor? How can the group minus Kyrie be 14-25 if Lively has only played 7 games, Davis only 20, PJW 30?

In any event. I’m talking about next year. This year is over and done with as far as I’m concerned. HEALTH will always be a reason so no need to go there. If the Mavs do nothing they will have Kyrie-Max-Flagg-PJW-AD to roll out Game 1 next year. How or why does that team not fit? What do they need to do to move into a contender in your mind? The ‘26 FRP (Top-8?) is on the roster here. As well as Lively, Gafford, Naji, Klay, Nemby.

I think all 5 are starter worthy players. You can’t have an All-Star team after all. The weakest link is probably Max? I’d probably prefer moving Kyrie to more of an off guard role. That’s one of the reasons I’ve liked the Gaff+Klay or Gaff alone for Coby White. A big PG thats a very good 3PT shooter on high volume. Then Max can fill in off the bench or when there’s injuries. Maybe you draft a player like Coby also (Mikel Brown)?

I don’t think there’s an “elite creator” in the way that you mean it, available via trade. The two that would have to be that for the Mavs are Kyrie and/or Flagg. Maybe your top draft pick this year eventually, but not expecting it next season.

Adding Kyrie to AD does make a difference.  It does not turn a 500 team (and thats with AD playing every single game) into a contender.  It makes them a 4-6 seed with a decent chance of getting into the second round.

Of course there is not an elite creator available via trade.  Only a complete idiot would trade that away (see Nico).  Hopefully Flagg becomes that elite creator.  If his progression continues as we all hope it will, I think he will be ready to lead a contending team in his early to mid 20s.  I think that is the timeline this organization should be focusing on, and I think it will be past the point where AD or Kyrie are contributing significantly.  

When I though AD had some legit trade value I felt like it made sense to make this team worse for the next two years in order to be better in the Flagg prime timeline.  Now that it looks like salary dump is best return, I don't think makes enough of an impact in 4 years to make this team worse the next 2.  There is also a small chance they can rebuild some of AD trade value such that it would be worth more than salary dump now.