2021-2022 ROSTER TALK: [ARCHIVED]

[SkenfromLMF]

Thing is, I think I've given up on the Mavs actually valuing draft picks the way they actually should. Thought it was Donnie, but it's definitely Cuban.

So here is the history on this:
When Cuban bought the team the Mavs had one of the lowest payrolls in the league, BUT he had what was regarded as one of the best NBA Draft teams around. It was 2000 and Dirk and Nash were starting to make Nellie (& Donnie) look like geniuses. Dallas had the 9th pick in the draft and Nellie was set on Etan Thomas being the big (PF) that was a NEED rather than BPA. mark asks Nellie who the most NBA ready player was and his answer was Courtney Alexander. So mark buys Orlando's pick (#10) and ultimately use a 3rd FRP (#22) on Donnell Harvey. Nellie was in shock that Cuban could just BUY it (there was another future pick involved but still).

Well When Cuban bought the pick he expected contributors who could perform on a team built around Dirk/Nash/Fin. Now one thing about that draft: IT WAS THE WORST IN THE HISTORY OF THE DRAFT! Ultimately Etan Thomas might have been a top 2-3 player and he did not play the first couple of years. Cuban is simply disgusted with the results and did not have the patience to develop players from this approach.

Nellie then told him there was a way to improve faster, but it would involve trading for players whom their teams thought were overpaid and willing to take less talent for less salary. Cuban adopted this mindset and it led to a series of trades that almost tripled the Mavs payroll. Loy Vaught -> Christian L8ner -> Juwan Howard. In the process there was an entire move away from the draft as Cuban became disenfranchised with the process unless it was a clear All-NBA talent and a top pick.

This plan was working until the NBA produced the Luxury Tax. Cuban really did not blink until the league increased the penalties for being in the TAX. Even this did not STOP the Mavs from spending. Then the 2011 Lockout created the REPEATER TAX and Cuban felt targeted and was scared of Nuclear Winter. This meant not bringing the gang back for a repeat attempt and Dirk spending the last years of his career playing for pennies on the dollar every other year.

So for the last 10 years Dallas has had an owner who did not trust or invest in the draft; Would no longer incur the repeater tax; and felt the best way to improve the team was through FA and cap space OR the hope that teams would have to sell off assets to avoid the TAX Penalties.

Donnie was not perfect, but he was able to be moderately successful given the culture from the top down. And yeah, IF I vouched for Giannis and we traded down to save money that did not get spent (Dwight Howard/PG) and ultimately landed us with Wes Matthews on one leg: I'd be willing to sue if someone claimed I was fired for incompetence.