05-26-2021, 01:46 PM
(05-26-2021, 11:05 AM)Kammrath Wrote: My issue with the team construction is mostly centered around KP (and to a much less extent JR). I think the Mavs could have much better fitting players or player with the money they spend on KP and JR.
But KP and JR need to go, truly "addition by subtraction" in many ways for those two IMO.
Just focusing on JR as both he and possibly the team have decisions to make.
Do you give any shade for his early season struggles being no fault of his own? No training camp. New team. COVID. He’s a net positive post all-star shooting .370 from three. All that included a pretty rough month of April (surrounded by good months in March and May). I don’t have time for a deeper dive, but would be interested in lineup data starting around 3/1/21.
If you assume THJ returns, then major cap room is off the table (again, I’m purposely holding KP as a constant as there are too many variables if you don’t). The Matrix looks like this:
JRich Opt-in/Stays: MLE
JRich Opt-in/Trade: Return for JRich + MLE
JRich Opt-out: Cap Room + RMLE (cap room is limited with recent play of THJ)
JRich Opt-out/S&T: Return for JRich + RMLE
1. What can you get in trade for JRich?
2. Who is more valuable than JRich among the MLE candidates?
Not defending or throwing JRich under the bus. I’m not positive we know enough. One other factor is Green. I’m a Green optimist and if JRich is destined to be the backup defender to DFS, I wonder if Green can fill that limited role next season. I’ve proposed JRich to Chicago for S&T Markkanen (who I see as a Melli replacement...O off the bench guy). Then you get a veteran ball handler with the MLE. Dragic has been suggested. I don’t want to take the ball out of Brunson’s hands and want more of a 2/1 than a 1/2. There is a fairly good list of guys out there who can take that role for up to about $9.5mm.