07-14-2022, 12:56 PM
(07-14-2022, 08:30 AM)KillerLeft Wrote: Oh, for sure. This is probably the deepest the NBA has been in my lifetime when it comes to cores you can talk yourself into being scared of. There are really only 1-2 bad teams, on paper.
The biggest threats to leapfrog Dallas, imo, are Denver, New Orleans and the Clippers.
They valued him over Ayton, because Simmons said (and Rusilo agreed): "I'd rather have Brunson at $25 million than Ayton on a MAX."
I honestly can't believe there are people here who think Brunson got overpaid. When you look at the declining contract and think about how much the cap is going to go up...it's going to be a bargain, imo.
Non-expert here, but I don’t think that list makes me feel any kind of way re: Brunson’s contract. Some of those equivalent names could be overpays at $25M AAV. Think someone pointed out that contract puts him around #40 in the league and that’s 20-30 spots high in my opinion. Still disappointed Mavs didn’t re-sign Brunson because although I think he’s not valuable enough to live up to that contract with the Mavs on the court (primarily based on fit), he was that valuable as a signed asset to swap for a few picks at the next opportunity.
In other words, I understand the Mavs thinking that contract is too rich but they should’ve offered the money when the alternative is nothing.
Sure, that contract looks better if/when the cap goes up but relying on a rising tide to lift a particular boat isn’t great financial management (especially since we’ve overpaid in recent history and the tax amplifies those mistakes). But again, something is better than nothing after they voluntarily backed themselves in a corner. In retrospect, they should have aggressively shopped him at the start of the season, extended much earlier, or ensured he was an RFA so they at least get a SNT out of his departure.