Luxury Tax Hell

[F Gump]

Even if a good move is made, which is still possible, the team payroll next season will be far less than what it would have been with the assumed Brunson contract. With very little in the way of ability to add salary in the near future. Whatever they do from here, good or bad, will be moving salary around or subtracting even more, not adding. 

That's why some of us have been so angry. It is what it is.

I don't think "they could have spent more, but didn't" is a legit Mav criticism at this point. It's not about how much you spend, but how you spend it. I would actually hope the Mavs work to spend efficiently, rather than spend more. And nothing wrong with paying less tax IF you aren't doing so with a disregard for whether this enhances your ability to win a title.

In this case, there's evidence they were prepared to spend a ton on Brunson, and to go deep into tax territory. They didn't run from the tax at all.

But then 1) Brunson preferred NY if the money was right, 2) NY money-whipped him way beyond all expectations (and somewhat remade their entire roster for JB) so that JB became convinced it was his spot and he would be taken care of, and 3) Dallas didn't want to try to money-whip JB even further where his preference changed, but JB didn't care anyhow. It's possible the Mavs had no real shot once Brunson had decided he had seen enough by NY, recognized the commitment, and was going to NY and the money was sufficient to end looking elsewhere.

In addition, we all felt there would be some point at which the JB dollars could no longer make sense. While I think in the long run JB may prove to be a max-level player, I know I'm in the vast minority on his trajectory and do think that sort of deal was way beyond the consensus on his value, so it's an unfair expectation that anyone should have offered him way more than he got. It's fair for the Mavs to have set limits too.

Having said that,
1) I think the jury is out on Cuban's willingness to spend and continue to pay tax,
2) I think we will see ample crossroads ahead where we get indications of whether the Mavs are working smartly with money, or just being cheap,
3) I am NOT convinced the Mavs will make avoiding the tax next summer a priority,
4) there is value in doing what you can to avoid tax when you are close,
5) if they do it next summer, how they get there will be revealing.
I don't think the JB outcome was part of that at all, however.