Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[F Gump]

Going with the current roster would be an interesting gonzo, out-of-the-box M&M move, but it's not what virtually any other trying-to-win-and-develop-young-players-in-the-context-of-a-properly-constructed-roster FO would do. As has been pointed out many times by KL and as many other times by several other posters combined, this team is weak in creational guard play - unless Sergio quite literally is one of the five most NBA-ready players in this draft. They could stand to shed one, if not two, of the frontcourt guys, and need to add a guard. I just really have to squint to see more than two of Gafford, Naji, PJW, Klay, and Martin fitting here this fall. Three, presuming that Ishchenko is two-wayed or stashed. Re: Ishchenko stashing - there are others who don't think he even steps foot in the US as he has, given the international situation, if he had any intentions of returning home, and trying to stash him might burn that bridge pretty completely if "successful."

The problem I'm having with the "add a creator" theory is that it doesn't fit what we are seeing at all.
1 All the ideas being floated of another trade for this guy or that, they didn't really solve that. The Mathurins and Hachimuras and Watsons of the world, they do NOTHING in that area.
2 I'm not sure the Mavs share our concern. If they do, there's been no whisper at all of anyone they are pursuing who changes that aspect of the Mavs roster.
3 Mavs currently have at least 4 PG types on the roster. Kyrie will definitely start. Flagg will also be on the floor as a secondary creator. They have at least 3 other PGs who can chip in, and with upside, in DeLarrea, Nemby, Sasser. And fwiw, apparently your guy Ishchenko is also listed as a PG. Where would they even fit another?
4 The overflow you see elsewhere on the roster, I don't think it is really there in terms of numbers.
PG - 4 - Kyrie, DeLarrea, Nemby, Sasser
SG - 3 - Max, Klay, Tarik
SF - 3 - PJ, Naji, Martin
PF - 3 - Flagg, Morez, Aldama
C - 2 - Gaff, Lively