Should we give Donnie credit?

[reckoner07]

But the Mavs will keep that possibility alive - and they should.

I just don't think that is smart. If a good opportunity to improve team appears NOW, Mavs should take it regardless of 2021 pipedreams. IF Giannis decides that he wants to go to Dallas in 2021, we can always find ways to clear the needed cap space, no matter what contracts we will have. Or do a SnT. The only way I would be waiting for 2021 would be if I had some informal assurance that Giannis would come.

I mean, they don't have to shut down 2021 by making good additions of shorter-term contracts. And if they find a strong long-term player that makes it worth passing on Giannis earlier than expected, then clearly they will.

Just calling it a pipedream, and saying it's not smart to consider that option, is not how organizations think. The complexities of different cap scenarios and the planning that they do must be mind-boggling. Cuban has always been huge on data and stats - I took a class from the IU stats professor who was doing Cuban's data work soon after he bought the team - and I can only imagine the depth of scenario analysis that goes on with their cap and roster-building.

It doesn't have to be much probability now to have option value for the future, when the Mavs have a prime asset to be one of the teams in contention. They will always be looking for opportunities to improve their team this season... and if there happens to come a point where a long-term contract decision comes into play where they have to weight that vs the value of the option on Giannis, then they will decide that the player is worth it (if it has gotten that far). I think we're more likely though to see short-term contracts through the '21 summer than deal that go past then, with in-season improvements.