DRAFT: #18 [Green] & #31 [Terry] & trade for #36 [Tyler Bey]

[Scott41theMavs]

I have no idea if Poku-man is any good. But, I will repeat something I’ve said before. If we are a top 4 team in the west, we won’t be counting on anything from whoever we draft at 18. If we are counting on such a contribution, we aren’t a top 4 team in the west.

I often read that if we don’t get this off-season right, we risk losing Luka. Actually we don’t risk anything until 2024 or 2025 when Luka is in the position Giannis is in now coming off his second contract. To me, high upside should be the order of the day, not what a player can do in the 20/21 season.

"If we are a top 4 team in the west, we won't be counting on anything from whoever we draft at 18. If we are counting on such a contribution, we aren't a top 4 team in the west."

Dan, I value your contributions here at lot, but this simply isn't true. The Mavs are a top 4 team in the west because Luka. It's not rocket science. I have said many times that the Mavs don't need to contend next year; they need to improve. Luka lifts all boats, probably quite a bit more than Dirk did, but this is a roster with many holes, most egregiously in the weak starting lineup. And your reasoning about a rookie contributing is just hide-bound dogma if Rick will play the guy.

As for keeping Luka happy, look at the history on Gordon Hayward. It does happen. Moreover, 1) this is the new age of NBA player movement in which the top superstars far more efficaciously dictate where they're going to play, even when under contract, far more than in years past; 2) Luka is unique among players of his age in terms of contribution and impact and so should definitely be viewed in those above terms; 3) he has an agent whom we have supposedly mended fences with, but look at the gross negativity of the past dealings with Nash and Rondo. I think your '24-'25 comment is once again overly-dogmatic and extremely naive.