(05-22-2023, 05:46 AM)F Gump Wrote: And in the ones you are proposing, in my opinion the Mavs say no as well.
Your thesis that Kyrie will dictate where he goes, and then the Mavs would have to take whatever junk LA opts to offer, and will do so, just isn't realistic on many levels. And you are right that it takes THREE to tango when it comes to a sign-and-trade.
But each of the three have to get something that makes them want to HELP THE OTHERS or they won't play. Deals die all the time because one party or another feels they are putting in more than they are getting back, and Mavs aren't going to put an all-star into one without getting rewarded well.
I think Kyrie will sign with the Mavs. The idea of looking for a different place for him to play? Maybe later, maybe never.
I perfectly agree it is by far most likely Kyrie will sign with Mavs. I hope he will. Its the road they chose and if he does not, it is just another failure for them.
As per the bag they could get, I think the main difference I have with some posters is phylosophical about the concept of the SnT. Mavs are not trading Kyrie. He is a FA. They can choose to help him if he wants to play somewhere else. I think that is a huge difference. Of course, they are rewarded for that help, but I think that reward doesn't nearly offset the market value of such a player, if he was under actual contract. I think this is confirmed when looking at previous SnT examples. Philly got just JRich for Butler. Toronto got Achiuwa for Lowry. I am not sure what makes you so confident Irving wouldn't pull all sorts of shit to get his, if he really wanted to.
I never made any proposal, where Mavs were taking back whatever trash Lakers offered. My last one was Reaves and Vandy, which you said is not realistic, because Lakers have limitations to what contract they can offer to Reaves. I don't want Russel. I would take Beasley or Bamba expiring for matching salaries. But we concluded, such a deal is not possible