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

[michaeltex]

So Windhorst is reporting that AD may be traded for expiring deals only. The Mavs may not have a choice if such a trade is possible. The payroll is just too high considering the team’s current prospects. That will close the books on the trade as Luka for Max, a first in the fairly distant future, and salary savings. Basically, Luka is going to be a salary dump. Nice work Mavs.

FWIW, Luka's future salary was the driver for Nico's Folly. He was due for a Super Max extension that would have paid almost $70MM/year and did not appear (from the outside) to care enough to prioritize his health, his conditioning or the team who was paying him. Not a defense of the trade, just pointing out that there were salary cap implications and expectations tied to it.