Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[cow]

I agree that it will be easier to build a complete, two-way team around a star player who actually loves the defensive side of the ball. No argument there. I'll stop short of agreeing that means he should fit with any and everyone. The thing about Dirk and Luka is that while their impact was felt mostly on one side of the ball, it was a MASSIVE impact, and created space for others. Even with them, players had to be chosen based on their ability to create space for them, and in Flagg's case I think that need is even more glaring. Whether he's starting plays or not, it's clear he wants to get downhill, and in order to do that he needs shooting around him. 

But again, once the offense looks like something that belongs in the NBA, and not at LA fitness, your excellent point about the other end of the floor will very quickly rise to the forefront of the conversation. I'd argue that the long, two-way types everyone is pining over right now in the draft are scratches to an itch left over from those Dirk/Luka eras and not taking into account just how differently the Mavs are positioned this time around. They could be good defensively THIS SEASON, but they won't be because even they know their offense can't hang, so what's the point of exerting all the effort?

Kyrie will upgrade our Lifetime Fitness offense to NBA level.  And even if he weren't on the team or if we were talking about a different sport, I hate drafting based on need.  If need coincides with BPA, great.  I might relax that stance a hair if we are one piece away, but in my view, we really only have one piece and a short term rental of one of the best handles the league has ever seen.  That short term rental might reenforce your stance on wanting a PG and that's understandable, but give me BPA.  It's all a bit moot as there is very little chance of us getting into the top 5 so Boozer, Peterson and Wilson are off the board.