TRADE: Davis, Hardy, DLO, Exum to WAS | Middleton, filler, 2 FRPs, 3 SRPs to DAL

[hakeemfaan]

This is not the same cap space that we had for years with Cuban plan powder.  They didn't do this to go for a big prize in free agency, they did it to get out from under the aprons and to avoid paying 130 mil in tax for a rebuilding team.  Its clear Dumont was not going to pay that, so they did not have the luxury of waiting another season.  And that is just half the space.  The other half can be used to bring in players with TPEs (potentially with picks attached) and the full MLE.  If I were going to put a ball park value on the room they made I would say:

It would have cost roughly 2 first round picks (or more) to get off 27 mil in the offseason when everyone knows that is what you are doing.
TPEs including one worth 20+ mil.  We could use that to trade for a player or take on salary for a first
The full MLE.  You can get quality players with this.  We got Naji last season for less than this.

That is a very rough stab at the ballpark value, but if we didn't shed any cap but got 3 more firsts in addition to the full MLE, would that trade look better?

I hear all of you, but I also see players who have talent and are past 30 still commanding very good value. Even Cavs fans are on record as saying that had AD stayed healthy they would easily move an Allen or a Mobley for him. AD is still a force when healthy. It’s not like a total bust who we have to entice other teams to take.  So I am not fully agreeing that the Mavs woukd have done much worse if they pushed this out. Hence I would have punted to see if I could get something more next season. Anything we got next season couldn’t  have been worse IMO.  

As for the repeater tax and flexibility , I concede it is not my money and can see if that was the  primary motivation but for an ownership that has around 70 billion and  signed off on the worst trade ever in giving up Luka, they could have taken one for the fans. I just don’t see anything with this trade that I can see as a positive right now. Hope one of those picks pan out.