2021-2022 ROSTER TALK: [ARCHIVED]

[StepBackJay]

If Mavs dumped THJ with their first how much money would they be able to resign JB while keeping the full MLE and create a big TE or would they need to still dump more money?

[Scott41theMavs]

I'm on the "no Lavine" bandwagon. BYC screws up anything like a dual S-n-T involving Brunson, and you're likely paying Lavine what is very much starter money, so your starting lineup includes Luka, Brunson, and Lavine. So much for the year of defensive identity Kidd worked to build.

Also, "no" to THJ retention improving the team via his return from injury. To say he isn't the defender Bullock and Dodo are is a gross understatement. They have to send him out for something else better fitting.

[F Gump]

If Mavs dumped THJ with their first how much money would they be able to resign JB while keeping the full MLE and create a big TE or would they need to still dump more money?

1 Send out THJ and pick (in June) with no player coming back -- Mavs receive $21.3M TPE (in July, this would be less.)
2 Existing TPE expires unused
3 Assumes all options are filled -- Franky, Burke, Kleber all included in salary and roster totals
...Mavs start with 13 roster slots filled, total about 135M in salary.
4 Sign player X to full MLE at 10Mish.
5 Sign Brunson to remainder of apron room 10Mish. [oops]

IN THE ABOVE SCENARIO: (a) Mavs are hard capped at the 155M apron. It cannot be exceeded no matter what. (b) After all the above, where they are under the apron including the MLE guy and Brunson, they can make trades (including sign-and-trades) as long as they take back less in salary than they send away.

[cow]

I'm not opposed to trading THJ but I don't think you trade him just to trade him and certainly not utilizing our FRP.

-If you wait until the trade deadline or until next offseason, his contract is going to look really attractive to suitors and his value will not be hampered by coming off of an injury and maybe you can disguise that fact that the Mavs didn't really miss a beat without him.  
-I know this assumes a lot like the MBT learning how to draft players, but this team is in desperate need of young and/or cheap talent.  Jalen is getting bag.  DFS isn't making $4M per anymore.  Josh and Frank are end of the rotation guys at best and maybe not even that.

[audiosway]

Because he is not that good?

Caruso and Ball were definitely better options for team winning....especially defense. 

I have never thought LaVine has had a "winning impact"...at least not a significant one and not one worthy of his contract.

I said a week ago or so on here that I want no part of Lavine. He's empty stats. No thanks. Btw, I'm calling smokescreen on the Stein story. I don't think Dallas is interested in Lavine at all. Kidd knows what a championship player looks like and Lavine ain't it. I also think it's funny that Steiny is tamping down the Gobert story. That tells me that the Mavs are interested and trying to get Utah to think they aren't.

I would look at kicking the tires on Mo Bamba for a bench piece. He should come cheap. I am really high on Ntilikina. I want to see Kidd continue to work with him. If he can get confidence shooting I like him a lot. That defense he provides is stellar. Only 23 and on the roster right now cheap.

I think it's time for Powell to move on. He's fine in the regular season but just doesn't provide enough for the playoffs. They need a starting 5 desperately. Maxi is great for 15-20 mpg off the bench. But, it's too much for him to play with that energy at starter minutes.

[Branduil]

I find it hard to believe Mavs could get Mo Bamba for the tax MLE but I'd be all for that if possible.

[Kammrath]

I'm calling smokescreen on the Stein story. I don't think Dallas is interested in Lavine at all. Kidd knows what a championship player looks like and Lavine ain't it. I also think it's funny that Steiny is tamping down the Gobert story. That tells me that the Mavs are interested and trying to get Utah to think they aren't.

It will be interesting how Nico uses the media to his advantage.....I feel like Donnie was never able to do that.

[Jommybone]

Who are these non-Rudy available rebounders of whom Steiny speaks? Do they even exist?

[Branduil]

Who are these non-Rudy available rebounders of whom Steiny speaks? Do they even exist?

You can go to Walmart and find a better rebounder than Powell.

[Mavs2021]

Who are these non-Rudy available rebounders of whom Steiny speaks? Do they even exist?

Nurkic, Drummond, Robinson, Bamba, Whiteside, Looney, Bagley.

Those are the best RPG that are free agents this summer, if I am not mistaken.

Then you have the guys that are probably somewhat available like Randle, Wood, Stewart (if Ayton to Detroit), Love, Holmes, Turner.

[F Gump]

Nurkic, Drummond, Robinson, Bamba, Whiteside, Looney, Bagley.

Those are the best RPG that are free agents this summer, if I am not mistaken. 

I wonder if any of those are available at 6M or less. I'd love to land Looney at that number but suspect he will stay in GS. Drummond maybe? McGee?

Recent history tells us that when you have minutes to offer, you should be able to get the reasonably good, interior-based veteran center who likes your ring-chasing chances. Mavs should certainly be able to offer minutes, assuming Powell is sent packing. In fact, if I'm an agent with a center like that, I'm probably already on the phone to Nico to make sure he knows of the possibility, because the whole world knows the Mavs have a hole to fill.

[Branduil]

Dwight Howard is a free agent. And there's a Kidd connection there.

Dwight is 36 of course, but he's definitely still a better player than Powell.

[Mavs2021]

I wonder if any of those are available at 6M or less. I'd love to land Looney at that number but suspect he will stay in GS. Drummond maybe? McGee?

Recent history tells us that when you have minutes to offer, you should be able to get the reasonably good, interior-based veteran center who likes your ring-chasing chances. Mavs should certainly be able to offer minutes, assuming Powell is sent packing. In fact, if I'm an agent with a center like that, I'm probably already on the phone to Nico to make sure he knows of the possibility, because the whole world knows the Mavs have a hole to fill.

If you break it all down the options are really not that great. Most teams are either set at starting and even back-up C (for example Boston, Cleveland), or their starter is eating up big minutes (for example Jokic, Capela, Chicago) and the teams that have an actual need often have not much money to offer either (for example Brooklyn, Golden State).

I guess that Nurkic will just stay in Portland, because it makes too much sense for both sides, but if he does want a change of scenery, I think we´ll probably be very high on the list.

[Branduil]

Let's remember that this is the first post-KP offseason. I think there a lot of bigs who would love to play with Luka, but before, there was also the big question of KP, is he a PF, is he a C, how would we share minutes, will he expect me to do all the dirty work, etc. But now, it's super clear how any decent center would fit on this team, and we just made the WCF without any decent center at all. There will definitely be centers who want to play here.

[Kammrath]

[ItsGoTime]

Nico’s first offseason where he has inherited very few options to make a difference. With Keith Grant (was it him?) fully stepping away, I’d say this is the summer of the new cap guy we picked up! I’m ready to see some creativity that other top teams are using. Kidd tells Nico the players he wants, Nico gets them to say yes, cap guy figures out how to do it in a non-detrimental way. Nico executes.

[Branduil]

The more I think about it, the more I think we need two centers, not one. It's clear the Mavs do NOT want to start Maxi at center, and I think that's the right decision, he's just far better for us as a versatile big off the bench who can finish games in the right situation. But if that's the case, the Mavs need not just a solid starting center, but someone who can step in if that center misses games. For instance, Myles Turner would be my ideal get for center, but he's had his share of injury problems, so you would want insurance.

So let's say the Mavs find a way to trade something like Powell, #26, and Green for Turner or a similar player. And then the Mavs find a way to use the TE and a minor asset (future seconds?) to take in a center from a team that doesn't need/want them, like Favors or Nerlens Noel. And then use the tax MLE to sign a vet 3&D guy like Batum or Gary Harris. Now the Mavs depth looks something like:

STARTERS
Luka, Brunson, Bullock, DFS, CENTER

ROTATION BENCH
Dinwiddie, THJ, Maxi

SITUATIONAL BENCH
Bertans, backup wing, backup C

Now you have a solid core of 8 guys, plus 3 guys who can be used situationally: Bertans if you need more shooting, backup C for rebounding and rim protection, and backup wing for more perimeter D.

[ItsGoTime]

The more I think about it, the more I think we need two centers, not one. It's clear the Mavs do NOT want to start Maxi at center, and I think that's the right decision, he's just far better for us as a versatile big off the bench who can finish games in the right situation. But if that's the case, the Mavs need not just a solid starting center, but someone who can step in if that center misses games. For instance, Myles Turner would be my ideal get for center, but he's had his share of injury problems, so you would want insurance.

So let's say the Mavs find a way to trade something like Powell, #26, and Green for Turner or a similar player. And then the Mavs find a way to use the TE and a minor asset (future seconds?) to take in a center from a team that doesn't need/want them, like Favors or Nerlens Noel. And then use the tax MLE to sign a vet 3&D guy like Batum or Gary Harris. Now the Mavs depth looks something like:

STARTERS
Luka, Brunson, Bullock, DFS, CENTER

ROTATION BENCH
Dinwiddie, THJ, Maxi

SITUATIONAL BENCH
Bertans, backup wing, backup C

Now you have a solid core of 8 guys, plus 3 guys who can be used situationally: Bertans if you need more shooting, backup C for rebounding and rim protection, and backup wing for more perimeter D.

I think if we’re getting someone like Batum, he either supplants THJ from the rotation, or Bullock from the starters who supplants THJ from the rotation. Either way, THJ should find another home.

[loki]

The more I think about it, the more I think we need two centers, not one. It's clear the Mavs do NOT want to start Maxi at center, and I think that's the right decision, he's just far better for us as a versatile big off the bench who can finish games in the right situation. But if that's the case, the Mavs need not just a solid starting center, but someone who can step in if that center misses games. For instance, Myles Turner would be my ideal get for center, but he's had his share of injury problems, so you would want insurance.

So let's say the Mavs find a way to trade something like Powell, #26, and Green for Turner or a similar player. And then the Mavs find a way to use the TE and a minor asset (future seconds?) to take in a center from a team that doesn't need/want them, like Favors or Nerlens Noel. And then use the tax MLE to sign a vet 3&D guy like Batum or Gary Harris. Now the Mavs depth looks something like:

STARTERS
Luka, Brunson, Bullock, DFS, CENTER

ROTATION BENCH
Dinwiddie, THJ, Maxi

SITUATIONAL BENCH
Bertans, backup wing, backup C

Now you have a solid core of 8 guys, plus 3 guys who can be used situationally: Bertans if you need more shooting, backup C for rebounding and rim protection, and backup wing for more perimeter D.

I'd like to see one center who can shoot and one Powell type player who can actually rebound and defend the paint. Turner is my favorite for the stretch 5, but if he's not available Muscala could be a relatively cheap trade target. For the other big I think I'd prioritize Hartenstein with the taxpayer mid level. I was a fan of Holmes here, but not so much anymore as it feels like he could be neutralized in the playoffs the same way Powell was (and he's not really a great rebounder/rim protector anyway).

Even though I like the Batum idea, I suspect they won't invest much more on the wing with THJ coming back. Hopefully he plays well enough defensively that you don't need to make a move. If not you could target someone like Burks at the deadline.

[DanSchwartzgan]

I think if we’re getting someone like Batum, he either supplants THJ from the rotation, or Bullock from the starters who supplants THJ from the rotation. Either way, THJ should find another home.

I think there is a place for someone like Batum (or Jalen Smith) in the top 9 without necessarily pushing out THJ.  I don’t have an issue with moving on from him, but June/July seems like a really bad time to be trading him.  His value is probably the lowest it has been since his last year in NY.  Unless you are doing something with OKC to create a large TPE, trading Hardaway now seems like poor asset management.

It is interesting that some here expressed love yesterday for both Hardaway and Bertans.  Adding a Batum/Smith type player wipes out any minutes for Bertans.  Again, it seems like bad asset management.  Ideally we’d figure out his highest and best use for Bertans and simultaneously rebuild some value while the remaining time on his contract gets shorter.

I’ve never been a LaVine fan.  But, I trust Stein more than I trust McMahon.  So, it probably behooves us to think through how this could possibly happen.  To me, there is no reason to consider this unless you know Brunson plans to leave.  I understand few want that to happen, but we don’t get a vote (and neither do the Mav’s).  If there isn’t some chance it happens, the LaVine talk doesn’t make sense.