TDL Archived: The 2nd Rnd Pick Yankee Swap

[F Gump]

Inflation has been at least 15% over those three years so a 5% raise is like a 10% cut. Wood isn’t going to agree to that for a two year deal.  That’s just make believe. The Mavs knew what they were getting into when they traded for him. Nothing in this situation was a mystery or particularly complicated to game out. All of these decisions should have been made then.  Let’s see how it plays out and whether they had a clue.  I really don’t know at this point.  It seems like they’re just winging it, losing ground on nearly every series of transactions they make.

I'm not totally with you on the idea that the Mavs already knew (or should have known) what to expect with Wood. I think there was always going to be plenty of iffiness about his fit, and about whether his skill set would be valuable on a team intent on winning, and winning big. But even in that context, I don't think it was an outrageous price to pay, to package 4 scrubs with a scrub pick and take a swing on a guy with good stats in the past.

But I certainly agree that Cuban's GM-ing and roster-building generally looks clueless, without a plan. It just doesn't seem to have any direction that would lead to the top. Within that wandering, he has far too many "own goals" in his lackluster roster building (shades of Sacramento!) that sets them even farther back.

In just the last 2 summers, both THJ and McGee were players who looked good in some ways, but awful decisions to put on this roster. A great GM would not have done that. I think both were given deals with the mindset that "if they don't work here, we will have an asset for a later trade, so how can we go wrong" which is an approach that rarely works out.

How will they ever get a better roster, with the same guy continuing to plan the strategy and call the shots?