Trade & FA 2025-26: Free Agency Starts 5pm CST/6pm EST

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Herro on my team might be more difficult to swallow than D'Lo.

Why is that?

[cow]

Why is that?

My personal disdain for the players.  I can't stand watching either of them hoop.

[Winter]

My personal disdain for the players.  I can't stand watching either of them hoop.

While I can understand not liking Herro, he's not asked to do what Dlo needs to be doing at PG. 

Dlo just does not have the mentality or vision to run a team.... and unfortunately he needed to be good for the Mavs to be successful.  I thought it was 50-50 at best, but it wasn't even that.

The Mavs will be marginally better with Bwill at PG I think. Probably not enough to move the needle much, but still better I think. Assuming Kidd keeps him there.

[Razzmatazz_Hopskidillydoo]

Portland looks like an option.

Portland has expiring contracts, old vets, tradable contracts, young guys trending down but still has potential, etc.. or the Mavs can just break down AD's contract into smaller ones and get a pick or two in return.

Holiday is doing great for Portland but for how long? And he isn't exactly the epitome of health either but Mavs could benefit from having a veteran PG as opposed to a C who insists on playing PF. If the Mavs don't want Holiday, there's a similar smaller contract to combine with whoever -- Jerami Grant. He'd be redundant with PJ though, but Grant is easily tradable later on. Williams and Thybulle -- Mavs can let them expire if they want to.

Scoot Henderson looks terrible in Portland despite the good numbers, but he might be salvageable. A change in scenery might do his career good, if he stays on Portland he'd be on the way to be Dennis Smith. A trade can change that. At worse he could be a backup PG in the CF era. Let him and Brandon Williams fright for those minutes.

[Mavs2021]

Whether AD gets traded will depend on the strength of the new GM.

I don´t think

- Finley (I´m not taking this responsibility)
- Cuban (immediate win now mode, I can fix this, LOL)
- Dumont (I´m not doubling down on the Luka trade, botching this and having to own it)

have the mindset to make the AD trade decision.

You tell me who the new GM is and I tell you whether AD gets moved or not.

[mvossman]

Whether AD gets traded will depend on the strength of the new GM.

I don´t think

- Finley (I´m not taking this responsibility)
- Cuban (immediate win now mode, I can fix this, LOL)
- Dumont (I´m not doubling down on the Luka trade, botching this and having to own it)

have the mindset to make the AD trade decision.

You tell me who the new GM is and I tell you whether AD gets moved or not.

Lets say its Lindsey (the only name mentioned so far).  Do you think he trades AD?

[Mavs2021]

Lets say its Lindsey (the only name mentioned so far).  Do you think he trades AD?

He´ll definitely have the authority to make all the tough decisions, cause I assume those assurances will be necessary to get him out of the cushy Detroit job.

He ultimately would trade him and Klay imho. The Mavs should identify the team that will give them the highest 2026 pick and work from there. The Mavs need to get as much hope into the building as possible. This fanbase can´t eat the 2029 Hawks 1st round pick.

I´m also usually in the full proper rebuild mode, but I don´t think it´s the smart play here. Simply because you´ll have to get a lot of salary back for AD, so might as well get some functional basketball players, too. 

Kings would have to be Lavine/DeRozan+ Kings 1st.
Hornets would have to be Bridges + Sexton + Green + better of the Hornets or Suns 1st.

I think the only goal should be tank hard, so you are virtually guaranteed a top 7 pick on your own and find another pick that will potentially be in the lower end of the lottery (Kings, Hornets, Hawks, Suns). That´s what I´d try to accomplish. Then I start the next season in win now mode with the young core and all the vets. Plenty of time to sell off Kyrie, DeRozan, Lavine, Washington or Gafford. But it´s also a pretty damn nice supporting cast for Flagg, if he is indeed the one.

[hakeemfaan]

AD and Klay both have to be traded. If the Heat gives us even a 1st and Ware for AD, I'd do it in a hearbeat, even without Herro. Ware is young and super talented. Motor is a question with him, but there is no question of talent, and he fits the Flagg timeline. Plus it allows us to move one of our current centers also.

[Jason Terry]

I´d say AD/Klay for Lavine/DeRozan + Kings 2026 + 2028 swap rights (with our Thunder 1st round pick) is the trade that you do, if you want to stay competitive through the pick drought of 2027 - 2030.

It´s straight forward with regards to the players and it makes so much sense for both teams on paper.

Kyrie/Russell
Lavine/Christie
Flagg/DeRozan
Washington/Marshall
Lively/Gafford

Schroeder/Westbrook
Monk/Ellis
Murray/Klay
Sabonis/Achiuwa
Davis/Eubanks

You´d still want to tank and get two great picks in the draft as the Mavericks.

2026/2027 Mavs

Brown Jr. / Kyrie
Christie / Lavine
Flagg /DeRozan
Boozer /Washington
Lively / Gafford

That looks like a good bench.

^ actually not a bad outcome. You could sub in Monk in there as well. A trade that brings in playmaking for next year in addition to picks makes sense

Another outside the box one is: 

Sixers get: AD 

Mavs get: PG + assets

Philly would be interested because they desperately want to get off PG and extend their window. Mavs do it because:

1) firstly you get picks for AD plus maybe players since it’s a bad contract 

2) you want to soft tank this year and could hold out PG most of it 

3) next few years we can’t tank and must compete you would have fully healthy PG and Kyrie raising the floor and still maintaining the veteran presence we would’ve had with AD

4) scoring, creation and shooting are missing from the team and PG brings those things to the table

[FireNicoHarrison]

Whether AD gets traded will depend on the strength of the new GM.

I don´t think

- Finley (I´m not taking this responsibility)
- Cuban (immediate win now mode, I can fix this, LOL)
- Dumont (I´m not doubling down on the Luka trade, botching this and having to own it)

have the mindset to make the AD trade decision.

You tell me who the new GM is and I tell you whether AD gets moved or not.

I think only Cuban there has the petsinality to trade him.

[DL2RimRocker]

Wonder if SA would do?
Barnes/Vassell/Castle
for
AD/BWill

[FireNicoHarrison]

Wonder if SA would do?
Barnes/Vassell/Castle
for
AD/BWill

I like Castle, he is damn good.

But Barnes and Vassell have neutral value, if Spurs add more maybe it can work...

[DL2RimRocker]

I like Castle, he is damn good.

But Barnes and Vassell have neutral value, if Spurs add more maybe it can work...

Yeah, I don't know what SA has for picks, but at least a couple 2nd rounders.
Barnes is a 19 mil expiring.
Vassell is vastly overpaid, but someone we could take on to get the additional cap space and a hell of a good young player.

Another possibility:
Harris/Ivey/Stewart/2027 1st
for
AD

[omahen]

Wonder if SA would do?
Barnes/Vassell/Castle
for
AD/BWill

I think Castle is untouchable, he is a star in the making. Vassell perhaps. I think SA offer would be Barnes, Johnson, Olynik and picks. Contenders will not gut their team for AD, imho.

[DL2RimRocker]

AD/Powell for LeBron/Laravia/2031
or
AD/Klay for LeBron/Vincent/Laravia/2031


No idea what the FA market looks like but those moves would be strictly to clear cap space and get a pick back.

Doubt Lakers would want AD though...they'd probably want their pick back.

[FireNicoHarrison]

NO MORE TRADE WITH THE FAKERS.

[DL2RimRocker]

NO MORE TRADE WITH THE FAKERS.

LOL...I get it, but I really don't care what Lakers do as long as we move some of these guys for something that will help us in the long run.

If we could dump 65 mil of salary and add a young player and future pick I wouldn't be unhappy.

[FireNicoHarrison]

LOL...I get it, but I really don't care what Lakers do as long as we move some of these guys for something that will help us in the long run.

If we could dump 65 mil of salary and add a young player and future pick I wouldn't be unhappy.

They don't have anything interesting honestly... Picks will be higher and role players are just mediocre.

[Dirknows]

I think Castle is untouchable, he is a star in the making. Vassell perhaps. I think SA offer would be Barnes, Johnson, Olynik and picks. Contenders will not gut their team for AD, imho.

0% chance the Mavs get Castle. Salary filler and the Atlanta pick at best.

[Smitty]

My favorite fantasy trade I've seen so far. Is Davis to Chicago (Coby White +2 FRPs + filler). It seems realistic, as much as one can be when talking fantasy trades. I think there's a near zero percent chance that Anthony Davis is on this roster to start next season, 2026-2027.

I don't think his value is 4-5 FRP's like Shams suggested a few months ago, unless it's nothing but unwanted contracts coming back, but I do think he is a positive asset, unlike some here. I think he could net you a really good player, a young guy you like, and a FRP or two. The Mavs may have to take on some salary for trade matching, but the preference being expirings.

If Lindsey is the hire, I think his first order of business is getting maximum value for Davis, resetting this thing for the FO and fans, and really hyping up Cooper Flagg. Speaking of, is he the least hyped #1 pick ever? I'm ready for this page to be turned...