2021-2022 ROSTER TALK: [ARCHIVED]

[DanSchwartzgan]

I have several thoughts and some of them conflict.  I don't want to spend 20 plus million on a center unless he is a stud, but I feel like the Mavs need to upgrade center.  I view Maxi more of a PF type than center.  I also think if the Mavs need to spend their assets and money on a higher tier PF.  Although I agree with Dan that is also important to be flexible as you don't know what star player will be available and gettable.    Get him and worry about fit later imo.  

I like how Powell is playing, but I would like to find an upgrade to him where he becomes a valuable bench piece.  In theory, Dallas has three guys who can get to the basket now and create (Luka, JB SD).   They have 4-5 guys who should be good open three point shooters (Maxi, Bullock, Hardaway, Bertans, DFS) and they have one rim runner.   To really put defenses in a pickle, they need that one more big man who can defend, score inside, rebound well, punish smaller defenders, and not clog the middle.   I really think as the year goes on, not having someone who can get easy baskets inside is going to be a problem.   

I am not sure if my take is what the Mavs are thinking but to me that is what I would look for.

I see it this way also.  If true, any Holmes related deal (using him as a proxy for the kind of center you are talking about) should be for Maxi instead of Powell.  Big rotation then becomes:

Holmes/Powell
DFS/Bertans

Someone smarter than me can figure out who gets picks and what else to add to the deal.  You have all sorts of wing options who can shoot, defend or both and three ball handlers to round out the rotation.  

I get that no one wants to lose Maxi, but you have to give to get.  If 93% of the board wants to dump Powell, then it is a pretty good bet a real NBA GM isn’t going to give us a quality starter for the guy we want to dump (plus, as I’ve said, Maxi is a better fit next to Sabonis and if we are going to fantasy trade, we might as well consider the other team as part of the process).  To me, the biggest issue with trading Maxi is you probably don’t want to do it before his buddy Brunson signs.