TDL Archived: The 2nd Rnd Pick Yankee Swap

[DanSchwartzgan]

1) I sense a conventional wisdom to which the board has come over the past month, largely due to our gentlemen of weighty opinions, F Gump and Dan, that Wood simply does not fit with the Mavs because his defense is trash. Therefore, he isn't worth a Brunson-size contract to the Mavs.

2) It seems evident from tea leaves that we are seeing on Twitter that Wood is gone, which indicates that the Mavs don't envision signing him long term.

Who are you calling overweight :<

I’m with mvossman in that I think the prevailing opinion of the board is still quite positive toward Wood.  If anything has changed, it is simply because Kamm and Killer don’t say it a dozen times a day any more (I don’t know that that means they changed their minds.  They may have just grown weary).  

I’m also not positive I understand what you are arguing in favor of.  The numbers you propose are not possible currently.  Do you want to pay him a number you don’t think he should accept or do you think we should wait until the summer and hope he wants to stay?  If the latter, you are probably out of consensus on that.  Most here say sign or trade.  FG added the thought that they might hold off on doing something until after the TDL (like they did with DFS) and it was universally rejected.

I’ve tried to walk a fine line with Wood.  I think he has limitations, but I’ve allowed for the possibility we keep him and put defensive studs around him.  If that is the view, then you probably give him the years and dollars you are allowed.  That hasn’t happened and Wood’s camp hasn’t complained about the dollars.  So, the assumption is that we are either waiting for the TDL or the team doesn’t see him this way.  It wouldn’t be shocking at all for an extension to be announced within days after 2/9.

If he isn’t a long term starter on a contending team, then you have to look at him as a bench big with scoring punch and pay him appropriately.  In the trade I proposed to Brooklyn today, Wood would clearly come off the bench as the 4th big behind Durant, Claxton and Simmons.  That would be a fantastic role for him.  We don’t see that here because we don’t have players nearly as good as Brooklyn in our front court.  But, that doesn’t mean you should pay him as a starter just because you otherwise suck.  Isn’t that what got us into the four year deal we now have with THJ?

The chirping from ‘informed sources’ seems to currently be leaning toward moving on from him.  Who knows if it is a matter of the team not wanting him or Wood thinking more highly of himself than the Mavs do (or 100 other possibilities).  I think FG is bringing wisdom here pointing out that the two year offer ‘may’ be the 105% variety which keeps Wood trade eligible.  $15mm is a very well paid 6th man.  I think it behooves Wood to get what he can now because I think his market in the summer is the MLE or a hair over.  You’ve mentioned $26mm a year this summer.  So, yes…we are definitely very far apart in our assessment.  If you are correct, Wood should absolutely wait and Dallas should probably trade him.  The good news is a $26mm player should bring in quite a haul in picks and talent (and an MLE-level bench big won’t).  So, we will have a pretty good idea where we are in less than a week.