Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[Mavs2021]

Good point. 

If you look at alternatives that involving Klay for Jovic, I think Jovic makes much more sense in Portland than PJ does.  I get that we want to build out a 25-and-under team with the addition of a young guard, but if you look at Portland's depth chart, Gafford makes zero sense for them.  What would work is sending Jovic and Caleb Martin for Jrue.  It gives them a bench unit of Scoot, Sharpe, Martin, Jovic and Robert Williams.

Meanwhile Jrue preserves out 2028 cap flexibility and gives us another winning veteran who can give Larry more time to develop before being thrown to the wolves.

I have heard this Holiday narrative pushed so many times, but that simply ain´t happening for so many reasons beyond the U25 rule.  

One thing the Mavs never paid attention to under Cuban is re-trade value. All the Mavs moves so far have been designed around re-trade potential and max cap space threats in 2027 and 2028. Holiday basically kills all of that for what purpose? Holiday played 53 games last year for a non-tanking team, so that´s 30 missed games due to injury at age 36. He takes developmental minutes from the young players.

If necessary the Mavs can release Aldama, Risacher, Biberovic, let Lively go and Christie will certainly opt out next summer. That takes them to about 75M in committed salary, if Kyrie opts out to form a new big three. That is a viable max cap space threat. Now say some of the Mavs young players shine in their expanded roles next year. They become acceptable trade assets for the engaging party that risks losing their superstar for nothing. BUT this all falls apart with the acquisition of a Jrue Holiday sized contract.

Masai and Schmitz clearly working multiple strategies here and beyond the classic young players rebuild, they want to be build a team that is enticing to potential superstars (hence keeping Kyrie alongside Flagg), but also has the necessary cap space threat and assets to execute it at any time (hence no Holiday). If you want a veteran guard look at expiring deals like Lavine.