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

[Scott41theMavs]

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.

It's not just about the repeater tax. It's about being able to do absolutely anything to improve the team given the apron rules. Others have brought up the KP trade (outgoing) as a comparison to this AD trade. It's more like this trade is the opposite of the KP (incoming) trade - not cluttering up the roster and trading away future picks, but rather having cleared decks - and still plenty of tradable player assets - to be able to build with a very young super-probable-superstar the right way instead of the wrong way.

I have a sick feeling that the next five years of this franchise is still effed if we don't move up to the top 4, but to me, there is more room for optimism if that doesn't pan out than there was before the trade.

As far as the attractiveness to a GM, I adamantly believe that the job is more attractive now than before the deal. Unfortunately, I worry that the task may be "too challenging" for potential candidates if we don't move up in the lottery, so hopefully we make a hire before then.