Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[ACMFFL]

First a disclaimer, repeating myself, that I don't believe there is interest in this move on any side. I can also agree that valuation seems light in this case, especially as I am not very high on Thiero (he is extremely athletic but very raw). 

However, I think the claim that such valuation is moronic is completely simplified. The situation regarding the overall valuations has shifted dramatically in the apron world. Both valuations of player value and valuations of draft capital. Even in the salary dumps we rarely saw the taking team being able to get any draft assets.

Only the following players signed contracts higher than 20 per this season: Young, Reaves, Kessler, Hartenstein, Coby White, Dosunmu, Watson, Powell and McCollumn (last two with only one guaranteed year). Everyone else is at MLE level or lower. Hachimura or Collins are probably a similar level of players than Pj and they both signed for considerably less. It seems you can only get higher money if you are a top 3 player on a team, rest play for MLE or less. PJ is and would not be a top three player on his team.

Similar is for trades. Most of the action was for players on expiring deals. Minnesota paid BKN to take Randle. Claxton went to Chicago for free. There is little evidence that such contracts as Washington has have higher value on the current market. 

The remaining question is, if there is higher value for Mavs. Also here the answer is not simple. Mavs have sort of a logjam at center and power forward and seemingly a not great mix of established vets like Gafford and PJ on hefty salaries and up and coming young talent (Lively, Morez) in need of (serious) minutes. If you want Washington to keep his value, he needs to play heavy minutes (and be productive). If not, his valuation will drop. But if he plays heavy minutes, than there are limited minutes for young talent. 

I think if a FRP would be on the table for PJ (or Gafford), they would be traded already. It seems to me, no one is offering it.

It could also mean that Masai has no interest in trading PJ while his value is at an all-time low; perhaps he believes PJ could be more useful to the Mavs than questionable draft compensation and end-of-bench players..

Unlike Brooklyn and Minnesota—who were in a rush to move salary—the Mavs have no reason to part with PJ just for the sake of it.
Even in the current aprons era, teams don't hesitate to allocate 12% of the cap to their fourth or fifth-best player; if PJ returns to his previous form, he could easily attract more appealing offers than he currently does.

On paper, the Mavs have a crowded frontcourt, but that assumes Lively is healthy and ready to play. Until then, there is plenty of room for both veterans and young talents:

20 Gafford, 20 Aldama, 5 Morez, 3 PJ
27 PJ, 15 Morez, 4 Aldama, 2 Flagg
24 Flagg, 24 Marshall
24 Christie, 24 Risacher
30 Irving, 12 De Larrea, 6 Flagg