(11-15-2019, 11:54 PM)MrGoat Wrote: Other. Tweaks need to be made but ultimately I think it will be more than minor tweaks needed. It won't be a blow up because we should keep the Luka KP core but I would not be surprised at all to see us maybe take on CP3's contract during trade season if it becomes clear that more than a minor tweak is needed. We'll get to that bridge when we come to it though, it's still a while until trade season opens. For now we just keep making evaluationsI keep seeing this idea floated here and there, and would like to understand it better.
It is hard for me to imagine that the Mavs would have any part of CP3 at this point, because --
1. His contract is truly a monstrosity. He gets around $40M/season, and has two seasons beyond this one left on his contract.
a. Trying to salary match a contract like that is daunting. I don't know what the Mavs would have to offer to even come close. The only reason OKC could do it is because Russ also had a mega contract.
b. Paul is a declining player, and that contract, even were it match-able, would prohibit the organization from otherwise improving the team just in the seasons when they most need to get better.
2. Paul is not in sync with the time frame of the organization. He is 34 years old and on the down side of the hill, while the other two stars are in their early twenties and on the rise.
3. Paul doesn't play a position of need for the Mavs. Luka is the point guard. Luka can also play off the ball, but we have no indication that he is ready or willing to give up his position as floor general. Paul would improve the bench, for sure, but it doesn't make sense to pay $40M/season for a backup PG.
4. Paul is undersized, even for his position. That has contributed, imo, to some of his difficulties at the highest level. He has been on numerous very stacked teams, talent-wise, but has nevertheless never even been to the Finals. And some of that is clearly attributable to his struggles against bigger players deep in the playoffs.
5. Paul is not the superstar he used to be. Quite the opposite. When the Rox signed him for four years last season, I am sure they expected to get less than their money's worth toward the end of the term, but I think it surprised even them that his decline was so swift. OKC is in the cellar of the conference this season. Paul can still shoot, but he is no longer a high-quality defender.
These are the things that occur to me when I hear these CP3 rumors. However, I hear them enough to think they must make sense to someone. What am I failing to see?