FA: Kemba Walker to DAL | his knee is "not good"

[Smitty]

Kemba will probably take minutes from Green most likely.

Don't you put that evil on me!

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

It’s not about age as much as if these guys the Mavs bring back even have anything left.  Anyway we didn’t give up anything for Kemba. Might as well take a chance and see if it works as a stop gap. The danger is similar to Dirk’s last years and always trying for a decent stop gap that you are neither a legit contender nor a bottom feeder with a high draft pick.  I would rather just embrace the tank this year.

I understand what you're saying but we're also in the same position as the Dirk years in the sense that we have a transcendent talent on the team that makes it absolutely impossible to tank.

[mvossman]

The THJ signing was something they had to do. JB had not broken out yet and where else were you going to get scoring from if Luka was hurt or even in the game?  We can argue that they could have got someone better in FA, but chances are more likely they would have got someone worse than THJ. It sucks that THJ is struggling but at that time I dont see how they could have just let him walk.

Hard disagree on having to sign THJ.  Dinwiddie was an obvious choice.  DeRozan was another possibility.  They even stated their top priority was getting another playmaker "with size".  Hell, we could have gone after our top 3 MLE targets and paid them a little extra to land them instead of Timmy/Bullock/WCS/Brown/Boban.

[Kammrath]

Hard disagree on having to sign THJ

Yeah 100% no reason you "have" to sign THJ. None. Zero.

[Jakeospikez]

The THJ signing was something they had to do. JB had not broken out yet and where else were you going to get scoring from if Luka was hurt or even in the game?  We can argue that they could have got someone better in FA, but chances are more likely they would have got someone worse than THJ. It sucks that THJ is struggling but at that time I dont see how they could have just let him walk.

Absolutely was not something they had to do. Majority did not want him back. I don't think the Mavs really wanted him back either, but they did it to operate over the cap and put him on that declining contract. Horrible deal all around. Probably based around being less than Duncan Robinson's even worse deal. Still bad GMing regardless giving out that much money to a heavily flawed player. I was pushing for overpaying Reggie Jackson a little bit to pry him away from the Clippers but not sure if that was possible given his loyalty to the team. They could have found something better than the THJ overpay though, I don't doubt that. I'd rather have tried to give Collins a max deal and see if ATL matched than to pay THJ that money.

[cow]

The THJ signing was something they had to do. JB had not broken out yet and where else were you going to get scoring from if Luka was hurt or even in the game?  We can argue that they could have got someone better in FA, but chances are more likely they would have got someone worse than THJ. It sucks that THJ is struggling but at that time I dont see how they could have just let him walk.

You let him walk because the trend of paying three point specialists who offer little else was already falling out of favor.  It was a terrible contract then and looks even worse now after his injury and his current shooting trends.  I'm not second guessing this because I first guessed it.

[SkenfromLMF]

You think we are screaming for mark to quit being cheap with this roster...
Sans THJ prior to last year, we would be looking at the MLE and another minimum salary. THJ pre-injury was coming off of his highest season of productivity, eerily similar to where we were with Jalen last season. 
I am not killing them for keeping THJ, but letting JB walk...  No way those outcomes should not have been reversed.

[mvossman]

You think we are screaming for mark to quit being cheap with this roster...
Sans THJ prior to last year, we would be looking at the MLE and another minimum salary. THJ pre-injury was coming off of his highest season of productivity, eerily similar to where we were with Jalen last season. 
I am not killing them for keeping THJ, but letting JB walk...  No way those outcomes should not have been reversed.

If I understand what you are saying, I do not think that is correct.  If they don't sign Timmy, they have over 30 mil in cap space they can spend.  They chose to sign Timmy, WCS, exceptions and a 10 mil TPE (which they did not use) instead of cap.  They would have been way better off going the cap route.

[dirkfansince1998]

You think we are screaming for mark to quit being cheap with this roster...
Sans THJ prior to last year, we would be looking at the MLE and another minimum salary. THJ pre-injury was coming off of his highest season of productivity, eerily similar to where we were with Jalen last season. 
I am not killing them for keeping THJ, but letting JB walk...  No way those outcomes should not have been reversed.

That´s the key for me. No problem with them resigning THJ after he performed at a high level in the two previous seasons. But if that is the case and you pay what it takes because you think that THJ is a key contributor. Where is the same logic when it comes to an even better and more important player like Brunson???
On top of that. As others have mentioned before. Still not sure if that was the last Donnie/RC move or Nico/Kidd. If the plan was to focus on defense and change the identity of the team it makes no sense to bring back THJ.

Big picture I was all in on a KP trade and a small rebuild. Just letting THJ walk wouldn´t have created enough capspace for real roster changes. Moving both would habe been the best option. When that didn´t happen I was okay with them not letting THJ walk for nothing.

[dirkfansince1998]

If I understand what you are saying, I do not think that is correct.  If they don't sign Timmy, they have over 30 mil in cap space they can spend.  They chose to sign Timmy, WCS, exceptions and a 10 mil TPE (which they did not use) instead of cap.  They would have been way better off going the cap route.

Breakdown of the cap situation last summer.

https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2021/7/4/2...tions-2021

[mvossman]

Breakdown of the cap situation last summer.

https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2021/7/4/2...tions-2021

Right, so given they traded Josh for essentially air, they had 32 mil in cap space.  That seems like enough to me to make real roster changes.  I would have preferred a KP trade as well (I can't imagine the return would have been any worse than what we got at the TDL) but that might have been for another depressed high dollar asset (Hayward, McCullom, Tobias).

[Kammrath]

https://twitter.com/townbrad/status/1597348928650809344

[cow]

The answer to our prayers is to luck into the #1 pick and hope we haven't damaged the Luka relationship in the process of getting Wembenyama.

[SkenfromLMF]

Right, so given they traded Josh for essentially air, they had 32 mil in cap space.  That seems like enough to me to make real roster changes.  I would have preferred a KP trade as well (I can't imagine the return would have been any worse than what we got at the TDL) but that might have been for another depressed high dollar asset (Hayward, McCullom, Tobias).

Truth is that I do not believe mark was ready to take on another high priced salary AND spend the $30ish million, remember that empty roster slots have a salary hold on them as well. They went the cheap route as they have done going all the way back to trading Barnes. I was arguing with DLord on the old site that they would kick the can down the road and keep the Trade Exception from that trade through the next summer, everyone completely bought into the hype of cap-space and how it would be used... What I did NOT expect was that this was a signal that Dallas had quit spending altogether in regards to the Luxury Tax. I fully am convinced that Dallas will need another young CHEAP star to begin spending again after the attempt at Luka/KP. That said, I also am fearful we are 2-3 years away from Luka being dealt/walking and the cycle of ineptitude continues...

[Chicagojk]

Sort of depressing that I will probably have the most confidence in him shooting a free throw at the end of a close game

[dirkfansince1998]

Right, so given they traded Josh for essentially air, they had 32 mil in cap space.  That seems like enough to me to make real roster changes.  I would have preferred a KP trade as well (I can't imagine the return would have been any worse than what we got at the TDL) but that might have been for another depressed high dollar asset (Hayward, McCullom, Tobias).

I think the main talking point on this board was that even without THJ and Richardson the Mavs would miss out on a max slot. In hindsight I would have loved to sign some of the 20-30m options. Even though I doubt that the Mavs would have landed any of the guys that I would have liked. THJ was the bird in hand scenario.

[Chicagojk]

I think the main talking point on this board was that even without THJ and Richardson the Mavs would miss out on a max slot. In hindsight I would have loved to sign some of the 20-30m options. Even though I doubt that the Mavs would have landed any of the guys that I would have liked. THJ was the bird in hand scenario.

LEts not forget them picking up the option on WCS.  The now off the bench player for the Rockets G-league team.  I mean, wasn't it obvious he was not the answer here?  This team has had so many chances to make a smart, simple move to get a center who does not break the bank.  They always make the wrong choice.

[michaeltex]

FWIW, we can argue about how we got here, but Kemba is an upgrade from (arguably) the #15 spot on the roster. He's the latest candidate for the 3rd PG spot that has seen a procession of try-outs so far. Facu had a chance to fill a real need, but didn't show enough to fill the role, sayonara Facu.

If the shooters (THJ, Maxi, DoDo, Green(?), etc) don't hit their looks, then it doesn't matter how many playmakers are on the roster. 

I am interested in how Kemba plays when he is not the main center of gravity. Will he be able to make opposing teams pay when their focus is on stopping Luka.

[mvossman]

Truth is that I do not believe mark was ready to take on another high priced salary AND spend the $30ish million, remember that empty roster slots have a salary hold on them as well. They went the cheap route as they have done going all the way back to trading Barnes. I was arguing with DLord on the old site that they would kick the can down the road and keep the Trade Exception from that trade through the next summer, everyone completely bought into the hype of cap-space and how it would be used... What I did NOT expect was that this was a signal that Dallas had quit spending altogether in regards to the Luxury Tax. I fully am convinced that Dallas will need another young CHEAP star to begin spending again after the attempt at Luka/KP. That said, I also am fearful we are 2-3 years away from Luka being dealt/walking and the cycle of ineptitude continues...

They empty roster spots were accounted for in the calc.  They took on Timmy and Bullock which was almost 30 mil, so I don't think they really saved that much long term spending.  As far as I can tell when they couldn't get Lowery they decided Timmy was the best option left.  A decision I disagreed with then and now.

[mvossman]

LEts not forget them picking up the option on WCS.  The now off the bench player for the Rockets G-league team.  I mean, wasn't it obvious he was not the answer here?  This team has had so many chances to make a smart, simple move to get a center who does not break the bank.  They always make the wrong choice.

That move was made after they decided to go over the cap with Timmy, so it did not cost them anything from a cap perspective, just 4 mil and a roster spot (one of many wasted spots on that roster).