Trade & FA 2023-24: OKC The Favorite For Nic Claxton Should He Leave BRK

[omahen]

Ty Ty Washington was the first cut in OKC. They signed Lindy Waters on 2-way deal instead.

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status...8211726625

[Mavs2021]

Ty Ty Washington was the first cut in OKC. They signed Lindy Waters on 2-way deal instead.

https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status...8211726625

Curious to see who will take a chance. For a team like Washington Washington makes some sense. He´s played 31 games. That´s virtually nothing. And he has that Kentucky guard thing going.

[surfpuckmd]

Out of boredom, I reviewed all the NBA free agency contracts signed this summer.  I am very impressed with the contracts the Mavericks signed.  In fact, I think we did as well as any other team in the NBA other than perhaps the Lakers in terms of player value per contract.  

Of the top-tier players in free agency, I think Kyrie Irving's deal is among the best of the summer.  Although there are some off-court concerns, Kyrie remains an NBA superstar and a top-15 player in the league.  His $37 million a year starting price is a discount and the fact he was willing to sign only a 3-year contract I think was also a concession on his part.  I believe he took a discount to stay with the Mavericks.  I think it's great that Kyrie not only wants to be a Maverick but that he wanted to help the Mavericks accomplish some improvements this summer by taking less than he could have demanded.

Of the top-tier players, only Draymond Green seems to have taken a similar discount to stay with the Warriors.   I think Van Vleet, Jerami Grant and Khris Middleton were probably all significantly overpaid.  The best contract of the summer was probably Austin Reeves re-signing with the Lakers for a big discount.  Unfortunately, players are still willing to take discounts to play for the Lakers.   I think the Kyrie Irving deal was the second best of the summer.  

Among good role players available this summer who signed for more than the vet minimum, I believe the Dwight Powell contract is among the best of those.  Dwight generates a lot of hate on this board but all the advanced metrics seem to show that he's a winning player.  He is probably best as a backup but he's been a winning player here and a good culture fit for years.  His willingness to sign for not much more than the vet minimum was another major win for the Mavericks.  The only other comparably favorable contract I see is Mason Plumlee re-signing with the Clippers for one year, $5 million.  I think Powell is the better player though and a better deal.  Players like Dennis Schroeder, Georges Niang, Jeff Green, Joe Ingles, Mo Wagner and Trey Lyles will all make at least twice what Dwight will make this coming year.  Dwight is better than each of those players.  Again, a huge win for the Mavericks.

There are several players who signed for the minimum this summer who I anticipated would make more than the minimum.  The Suns were especially successful at this signing Josh Okogie and Yuta Watanabe for the minimum.  I think Dennis Smith Jr., Jae Crowder and Dario Saric all probably deserved more than the minimum as well.  I believe Derrick Jones Jr. though may be the best of the players who signed for the league minimum.  I think he's probably the best fit as well for the Mavericks.  That's another big win for the Mavs.

I also think the Grant Williams contract is very fair and I like both the Seth Curry and the Dante Exum contracts.

My conclusion is that the Mavericks had a wildly successful free agency summer.  I think this is remarkable because we've generally failed in free agency and have usually overpaid players to come here over the past 12 years.  I think the Nico Harrison and Dennis Lindsay management team looks really good right now.  I also think having Kyrie Irving buy into the Mavericks will continue to help us recruit good NBA players.  

We may not win 50 games this upcoming season but I think we've improved significantly.  I really like the progress we are making both with teambuilding but also decision-making in the front office.  For the first time in more than 10 years, I think the Mavericks are behaving like a winning organization.

[RGP1981]

I would like for the Mavs to take a shot on TyTy. He is a PG, this team needs backup PGs (maybe not right at this moment, but it seems like it will definitely be a need going forward). Also, in college, he seemed to be a PG who could be trusted not to be a liability on defense.

TyTy does need to dedicate himself in the gym to improving the physical though. Perhaps, I'm being a little harsh there cause I have seen so little of the kid since he was drafted, i.e., he has played so little that I don't know how to properly rate him (according to my own opinion only)... but his body/muscles does not seem as developed as it needs to be at age 21yo to be an NBA player (i.e., unless you can shoot it like Steph Curry).

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

I would like for the Mavs to take a shot on TyTy. He is a PG, this team needs backup PGs (maybe not right at this moment, but it seems like it will definitely be a need going forward). Also, in college, he seemed to be a PG who could be trusted not to be a liability on defense.

TyTy does need to dedicate himself in the gym to improving the physical though. Perhaps, I'm being a little harsh there cause I have seen so little of the kid since he was drafted, i.e., he has played so little that I don't know how to properly rate him (according to my own opinion only)... but his body/muscles does not seem as developed as it needs to be at age 21yo to be an NBA player (i.e., unless you can shoot it like Steph Curry).

He was awful last year, but taking a chance on a pedigree bust is always enticing.

[IamDougieFresh]

Some Thoughts on the Roster and Future


Star Players

Luka Doncic - I believe the only player on the planet better than Luka is Jokic. I also believe that if he improves his defensive effort and gets serious about his fitness, he can challenge Jokic for the #1 spot.

Kyrie Irving - I get that a lot of you are mad that he didn't vax and thinks the Earth is flat. I think off-court matters will be just fine. On the court, you can expect 3-5 years of absolutely electric play, followed by a productive extended career if he so chooses.

Jaden Hardy - Star player??? Yes. It's easy to see that Hardy has immense talent. In my opinion, it's only a matter of time until he becomes a 20 ppg scorer. If he develops as a playmaker the sky is the limit. He will have to be the 6th man for defensive reasons.

Olivier-Maxence Prosper - First I told you that our sophomore guard will be a star, and now I'm telling you that OMax will be too. I proclaimed that they must find a way to get him in the pre-draft thread. Normally, I reserve the "star" title for players who can get buckets. Players like Dennis Rodman and Draymond Green are also stars, and I predict that OMax's impact will be on that level for us one day.

Role Players

Josh Green - I am very hopeful that Josh Green will take that next step this year. All he really has to do is shoot it when he is open and keep playing hard. We really need him to use that athleticism to be a good point of attack defender. I think a lot of our success this season is going to depend on that alone.

Grant Williams - I'm very happy that we were able to get him. He's a great defender who knocks down his open 3s. He got shit for his incident with Jimmy in the playoffs, but Tatum and Brown are the dudes who choked, if you ask me.

Maxi Kleber - Despite a tough couple of years filled with injury and illness, Maxi remains an amazing defender and a small ball 5 with 3 point range.

Dereck Lively II - I think he is going to be a good rim protector and lob threat. That's all we really need. If he becomes an elite rim protector, the Mavs become scary. The 3-point shot... haha, we'll see.

Dante Exum - I really do think this is an underrated pickup. He learned how to shoot, and he is a good defender. I saw a stat that said he was like a 90%+ percentile PnR ballhandler in Europe. He will be a great backup guard.


I really believe the players listed above are enough to win the championship in a few years if everything goes right. How some of these players will turn out remains to be seen, but they are going to have options to improve the roster as well. I'd say things are looking pretty solid. A massive turnaround from how I felt before the draft.


Just Stopping By

Richaun Holmes - I actually think he is going to be really good for us, but he is just a stopgap.

Seth Curry - He's a shooter who is great to have on your bench. I don't want him to take many minutes from Green and Hardy.

Gotta Go

Tim Hardaway Jr. - I don't hate him like some here do, but he has to go so that Green and Hardy can grow into their roles.

JaVale McGee - Get rid of him and convey the last Porzingis pick, and all this shit will finally be in the past.


Long story short, I'm really excited, and I think things are going to be great in the not-too-distant future.

[DanSchwartzgan]

Some Thoughts on the Roster and Future


Star Players

Luka Doncic 
Kyrie Irving 
Jaden Hardy - Star player???  
Olivier-Maxence Prosper - 

Role Players

Josh Green 
Grant Williams 
Maxi Kleber 
Dereck Lively II 
Dante Exum 

I really believe the players listed above are enough to win the championship in a few years if everything goes right. How some of these players will turn out remains to be seen, but they are going to have options to improve the roster as well. I'd say things are looking pretty solid. A massive turnaround from how I felt before the draft.

Long story short, I'm really excited, and I think things are going to be great in the not-too-distant future.

When we get to the 'in a few years' part of this vision, the roster above is basically....

Lively/Maxi
GWill/OMP
Green/OMP
Kyrie/Hardy
Luka/Exum

Other than the top-9, no one else really matters (in terms of the playoffs) other than helping us to get from point A to point B.  If everyone grows into the level of player you are assuming, Holmes, Powell, Hardaway and Curry are just holding down the fort as we wait for development from Lively, OMP and Hardy.  DJJ may fit into that stop-gap category also, but he is younger than the others.  So, I'll mention him separately.

For this to really be championship level, one of Lively or OMP needs to develop an outside shot fairly quickly.  For OMP to be a 'star', he needs to start and to start, he needs to play next to Lively and push one of Green or GWill to the bench.  He's fine off the bench next to Maxi for now.  But his ceiling is higher than GWill's and that might just be the difference between top 4-6 seed and true contender.  

The question I have regarding all of this is timing.  We have Kyrie under contract for only two seasons and Maxi turns 32 next season.  Will those two be here (Irving) or useful (Maxi) by the time OMP, Lively and Hardy get to where you/we hope/imagine they will grow to.  I agree the future is bright.

[mvossman]

When we get to the 'in a few years' part of this vision, the roster above is basically....

Lively/Maxi
GWill/OMP
Green/OMP
Kyrie/Hardy
Luka/Exum

Other than the top-9, no one else really matters (in terms of the playoffs) other than helping us to get from point A to point B.  If everyone grows into the level of player you are assuming, Holmes, Powell, Hardaway and Curry are just holding down the fort as we wait for development from Lively, OMP and Hardy.  DJJ may fit into that stop-gap category also, but he is younger than the others.  So, I'll mention him separately.

For this to really be championship level, one of Lively or OMP needs to develop an outside shot fairly quickly.  For OMP to be a 'star', he needs to start and to start, he needs to play next to Lively and push one of Green or GWill to the bench.  He's fine off the bench next to Maxi for now.  But his ceiling is higher than GWill's and that might just be the difference between top 4-6 seed and true contender.  

The question I have regarding all of this is timing.  We have Kyrie under contract for only two seasons and Maxi turns 32 next season.  Will those two be here (Irving) or useful (Maxi) by the time OMP, Lively and Hardy get to where you/we hope/imagine they will grow to.  I agree the future is bright.

I love Maxi, but its hard to pencil him in the top 8 rotation given his age and injury history.  I also think Kyrie might surprise folks and hang here longer term, but I realize you cannot bank on anything with that dude.  The good news is that we will have 3 firsts starting next offseason to fill in those gaps if necessary.  If this FO has turned the corner and continues to have offseasons like the one we just had, we may have more names to put on that list in the near future without selling all of our assets.

[IamDougieFresh]

DJJ may fit into that stop-gap category also

I completely forgot about him.

I am very confident that OMax will surpass Grant Williams by year 3. I think they can definitely win it before Kyrie's career is done. I'm optimistic about the longevity of his game. The only question is can they re-sign him. Maxi is going to be cutting it close but he is replaceable.

[Chicagojk]

I think if all things go right (Kyrie deems to be reliable, the young players live up to the billing, health, Kidd rebounding) this team will need at least one more good player. I don’t think it is likely Lively and Omax develop into a championship level #3 or #4 type player in their young 20’s. Maybe they surprise, but I think even if both live up to their billing that they are 5th, 6th, 7th best player their first few years. So the Mavs need that clear #3 or #4. Grant Williams or Hardaway are probably their best players currently. They need to be pushed down (Hardaway probably won’t be here for long imo)

The question is who is that player to add to this roster? A lot will depend on this season. Does Josh grab a hold of that starting spot and make it his? Or is he just a nice rotation piece? Can they get solid rotation play at center or is Lively closer to being ready than expected?

I look at the hauls Bogdanovich got to Detroit or Jerami Grant got to Portland. I think that is the level of player we can compete with. A little higher tier player you get the draft hoarders involved and they will be tough to beat imo. I am not sure if I have interest in Grant now with his salary though. But if you could find that level of player to help fill some holes while keeping most of your youth, then I think this team could be real interesting over the next several years.

[mvossman]

I completely forgot about him.

I am very confident that OMax will surpass Grant Williams by year 3. I think they can definitely win it before Kyrie's career is done. I'm optimistic about the longevity of his game. The only question is can they re-sign him. Maxi is going to be cutting it close but he is replaceable.

I like Omax potential, but he will have to be able to hit the 3 at a good clip to surpass Williams.  Hope it happens.

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

IMO, we need a better 3rd best player, a 2-way player, someone like what DEN has in A.Gordon. Can J.Green be that player if he increases his FGA to ~10? Can G.Williams be that in his increased role here?

---

I like Omax potential, but he will have to be able to hit the 3 at a good clip to surpass Williams.  Hope it happens.

Completely agree.

[RGP1981]

Welp, OKC has waived Usman Garuba too.

If you all had to pick one, TyTy or Garuba, who might have more immediate and future value to the Mavs?

2 different questions in there, i.e., immediate vs future value.

[KillerLeft]

Welp, OKC has waived Usman Garuba too.

If you all had to pick one, TyTy or Garuba, who might have more immediate and future value to the Mavs?

2 different questions in there, i.e., immediate vs future value.

Garuba, but to be honest I don't think they have the means to develop either.

[Chicagojk]

Welp, OKC has waived Usman Garuba too.

If you all had to pick one, TyTy or Garuba, who might have more immediate and future value to the Mavs?

2 different questions in there, i.e., immediate vs future value.

I don’t know much about either but I will say Garuba.   His highlights in Houston don’t look to promising and two teams just said no thanks (I know this doesn’t say much due to other factors), but Houston has been a mess.   I could envision Garuba being an athletic backup center down the road.    Again, i don’t know much but I would consider waiving McGee and signing him.  I doubt McGee is ever going to be helpful in a trade over the next two years.   

I would be surprised if Dallas made a move for him though.

[The Jom]

When we get to the 'in a few years' part of this vision, the roster above is basically....

Lively/Maxi
GWill/OMP
Green/OMP
Kyrie/Hardy
Luka/Exum

Like the take. Like the roster. I think the key in all of this is Luka improving on defense, fast breaks, and shot selection. Next would be Maxi’s health. And then there’s the question of whether Hardy really can become a star lite. Without that, there’s just too little offense after stars 1 and 2.

[surfpuckmd]

Jaden Hardy - Star player??? Yes. It's easy to see that Hardy has immense talent. In my opinion, it's only a matter of time until he becomes a 20 ppg scorer. If he develops as a playmaker the sky is the limit. He will have to be the 6th man for defensive reasons.

I also think Hardy can become a star player.  I hate the Jordan Clarkson and Jordan Poole comparisons.  I think Hardy will be better than either.  I think he has the potential to become an all-star and I think he'll be closer to Bradley Beal than Jordan Clarkson.  

Not sure he'll be able to score that many points on the Mavericks though.  I can imagine us trading him for an elite defensive player.  I'm not sure the Mavericks would be able to afford his next contract should he become a 22 ppg scorer.

[IamDougieFresh]

The Dallas Mavericks will be the 2025-26 NBA Champions.

[Jym]

I also think Hardy can become a star player.  I hate the Jordan Clarkson and Jordan Poole comparisons.  I think Hardy will be better than either.  I think he has the potential to become an all-star and I think he'll be closer to Bradley Beal than Jordan Clarkson.  

Not sure he'll be able to score that many points on the Mavericks though.  I can imagine us trading him for an elite defensive player.  I'm not sure the Mavericks would be able to afford his next contract should he become a 22 ppg scorer.

Hopefully Hardy is given a chance to grow and learn this year but man I don't know if he will. Legitimate chance his minutes drop to pretty much zero when Luka and Kyrie are both healthy

I think he's behind Green, THJ, and Seth for sure and fighting for minutes with Exum. Exum probably even has a bigger chance at stealing minutes from Seth and THJ since he's more of a PG than either of them

[surfpuckmd]

Hopefully Hardy is given a chance to grow and learn this year but man I don't know if he will. Legitimate chance his minutes drop to pretty much zero when Luka and Kyrie are both healthy

I think he's behind Green, THJ, and Seth for sure and fighting for minutes with Exum. Exum probably even has a bigger chance at stealing minutes from Seth and THJ since he's more of a PG than either of them

Seth Curry was pretty bad last year.  Jaden Hardy may actually already be less bad at defense than Seth Curry.  

I think Hardy is our third creator and will play 20-25 mpg on most nights.  If Luka or Kyrie are out, he'll play more.  Regardless of development, I think Jaden Hardy is already a better player than Seth Curry.