TDL Archived: The 2nd Rnd Pick Yankee Swap

[ItsGoTime]

I'm not a fan of a RW-to-Dallas trade because it doesn't help Luka.

After talking it out with you and Dan, I’m with you on this. The plan he described was a tanking strategy, so most of the below is null and void.

Tanking would mean we go for not conveying the 23 this year and put our hands in what is supposed to be a very deep talent pool. So as far as helping Luka, it for sure wouldn’t this coming year, but I can’t help but think the long term vision COULD be much better than churning like we have for years.

Basically I’m all for whatever makes this team a dynasty (Luka is an amazing start to that). It’s much easier to see that scenario by tearing it all down than what we’re doing, but what we’re doing isn’t out of that realm of possibility either.

I’m also aware that it is in no way a thought in anyone’s mind that is in the FO. So this is talking out strategy on a weeks long slow day. What else is there to talk about?

1 You are lessening current talent base around him, not adding to it. Backwards.

That’s the point of tanking and clearing out all long term salary attached to players that aren’t necessarily in the future plans. As I see it, it is a 1 year plan, not a “process” like they did in Philly.

2 Probably 2027 is when you see a pick - there is no LA pick available anytime soon. Who knows if that's a good draft year or a good draft pick.

The point in getting draft picks in this scenario is not to keep them. Assemble as many picks as you can and use them within a couple years to build the dynasty.

3 Since it takes most draftees 2-3-4 years to be very productive (if they ever do), it's almost a decade from now before such a trade might help Luka. Too late.

See above.

4 At some point (maybe at TDL or next summer), you might get some help via trading THJ or Bertans, or even via Powell's expiring, in the right scenario. But if you swap those pieces for RW's carcass, RW offers no potential at all, either now or later, to swap him for someone useful. He's negative value for any trade scenario.

Tank commander!

5 You don't get cap room next summer from such a trade. The Mavs merely reduce their over-the-capness and end up at around the cap. That helps Cuban, but not Luka.

The trade he proposed swaps SD out for Powell. That absolutely changes the discussion from not having room under the cap to having it. With that trade alone our total salary is at $101M with a $134M cap. Trade Bullock for a first and that makes it $91M. Now there is money and extra picks to get creative with using Maxi and DFS (Maxi or DFS plus a first or 2 for OG Anunoby then the other with a first or 2 for Dillon Brooks as 2 examples of many possibilities). We would have to start out with a low end bench, but as time goes by, we strengthen that with smart moves.

6 Moving Dinwiddie (in this proposal) is a team killer -- Mavs are already shorthanded at playmaker/ballhandler/creator, and this goes from bad to way worse. They need 1 more, not 1 less. (And no, RW is not the answer to that. Ugh.)

Once again, tank. Using Frank as a pg helps this cause!

7 Would I even want RW at the minimum, if bought out? I'm leery of the fit and the expectations that he would have, even with Mavs need. Would he be expecting to be the primary ball-handler, taking it out of Luka's hands, and to get all the shots he wants to get to his numbers? I'm scared of that. But with that $47M contract, that's exactly how he thinks for now -- from things he says, as the top-paid guy, he sees Main Guy (or on that tier) as his own worth and place in the pecking order, and that's a total non-starter..

I would buy out RW, he is a team chemistry killer and we want our guys to at least like eachother. Tank!

Again, I wouldn’t do it, but I can see the value in the strategy. Not ghat the team would do it either, but the guy can dream of a better world can’t he?