MAVS hire Masai Ujiri as new team President

[DanSchwartzgan]

Why would we ever hear about it? Assuming only Dumont and Masai know that Masai was PD'S "unpaid private consultant" for the last few months, on matters that would impact what Masai will be able to do starting in May, do we think Dumont or Masai will have a sudden urge to get the Mavs hit with a tampering charge, and a loss of a pick or a big fine? I suspect they will be just fine letting sleeping dogs lie.

Like "21", I kind of wonder if Riccardi was read in or if there was a sudden change in what Dumont was communicating to him (recall the public stance was "Patrick wants to keep AD") or if that public stance was just misdirection all along.  As you say, we will probably never know.

More importantly, to carry this theory out even more (since we don't have that much else to do), what was the end-game of the decision to trade AD for flexibility.  I've assumed any new GM would take their time evaluating before making any big move.  Maybe that evaluating has been going on for months.  I'm seeing some clickbait pieces on YouTube trying to promote a Giannis to Dallas narrative.  I've largely ignored them based on my theory above.  Now I'm not so sure.

Admittedly, other teams have more assets than Dallas.  So, this is 100% dependent on Giannis refusing to extend this summer and demanding a trade to a specific location...Dallas.  But, Masai has been after him for years and apparently has a relationship.  There is also the Kidd relationship.  Cooper and Kyrie make fantastic running mates and the potential of being reunited with old friend Middleton might be an underappreciated strategic asset.  The trade of AD put us so far under the tax that we can take on the full 125% + $250k trade spread and still have room.  

There are multiple 3 player combos that work for the outgoing salary as long as PJ is involved.  It can include Gafford or Klay along with Martin.  Naji can be substituted if it is Klay instead of Gafford going with PJ.  It could also be PJ along with Gafford and Klay.  I would assume players like Gafford or Klay would likely end up on a third team with draft assets and expiring filler flowing back to Milwaukee.  Obviously the biggest outgoing asset would be out 2026 Lottery pick.  The higher the better, but how high is too high that you'd rather just have the pick?  

Trading using the 125% rule would hard cap us at the first apron.  Depending on the package, we'd almost assuredly be taxpayers again...but Dumond seems to have a pretty open checkbook.  Anyway, not the most likely thing in the world, but the conversation about Masai knowing he was coming for several months and maybe even advising on the AD trade got me to thinking....