Trade & FA 2023-24: Paul George to Test Free Agency After No Contract Extension

[BigDirk41]

That lazy left handed pass by Kleber that obviously lead to a turnover was just trash last night.

The guy lacks too many basic fundamental skills to be in the NBA.

Bad feel for game...cant catch a pass or make passes without fumbling or turning over the ball.  Cant dribble.  Cant finish near the rim.  Hesitant to shoot.

Guy has the perfect body and footspeed for modern NBA...just lacks basic skills to be decent.

He's just finished. He used to be a really great role player, but injuries have caught up to him and he honestly shouldn't even be playing. His contact is terrible.

[mvossman]

I was wondering how many of you woud give a go for this trade, if  no is it only because of moral part of it, or you dont like it at all? The base of the trade looking Like this
https://fanspo.com/nba/trades/zT77Q6AcUrXiD7

Your paying a first for PJ and dumping Holmes salary.  Not interested.  PJ is not worth significantly more than THJ, I don't want to pay assets to dump Holmes, and Bridges is a rental, which makes him not worth the off court stuff.  Take Holmes and Bridges out of it and make our asset cost a second or two, and then you have me interested.

[mvossman]

That lazy left handed pass by Kleber that obviously lead to a turnover was just trash last night.

The guy lacks too many basic fundamental skills to be in the NBA.

Bad feel for game...cant catch a pass or make passes without fumbling or turning over the ball.  Cant dribble.  Cant finish near the rim.  Hesitant to shoot.

Guy has the perfect body and footspeed for modern NBA...just lacks basic skills to be decent.

The things you are describing have been the case his entire career, yet he has been a valuable contributor, especially during the WCF run.  The reality is on a Luka team (and in the NBA in general) players that can play versatile high level defense and hit a corner three have value, even if they can't do other basketball things.  His problem is that he is broken, and there is concern if he can ever get back to what he was.

[Nowitzki Way]

He's just finished. He used to be a really great role player, but injuries have caught up to him and he honestly shouldn't even be playing. His contact is terrible.

He's done man. I hope they find a way to get rid of him. if not, just park him on the bench next to Powell and Morris. 

He offers nothing on the court anymore.

[youzigizag]

The things you are describing have been the case his entire career, yet he has been a valuable contributor, especially during the WCF run.  The reality is on a Luka team (and in the NBA in general) players that can play versatile high level defense and hit a corner three have value, even if they can't do other basketball things.  His problem is that he is broken, and there is concern if he can ever get back to what he was.

I dont want to go down a negative rabbit hole...

But you have to draw the line somewhere.

Not being able to dribble is an issue....but more significantly is his fumbling the ball often trying to catch a pass or his inability to make safe passes.    The guy has no clue how to make a safe pass.

I just want more skill out of my players.   I understand Luka effect and all that.   But you cant rely on guys like Kleber late in Playoffs when defenses tighten up and you have to shoot the ball a tad quicker or pass the ball out safely if you are covered heavily.

I get trying to get these guys on the cheap...but they have to have basic skill.  Have to.   Submitting to a philosophy of "My guy only needs to be able to play defense and shoot a 3"  seems like it will catch up to you at some point.

[SleepingHero]

I was wondering how many of you woud give a go for this trade, if  no is it only because of moral part of it, or you dont like it at all? The base of the trade looking Like this
https://fanspo.com/nba/trades/zT77Q6AcUrXiD7

Trading our 2 upcoming expiring contracts to match other bigger contracts and the rest of our picks for PJ Washington and a guy the Mavs cannot hope to retain in the summer due to cap rules doesn't make sense on any level.

[SleepingHero]

I actually thought Maxi had a soft bounce back game last night and wasn't horrible defensively. His shot looked smoother.

Not sure why it's a sudden revelation that Maxi can't dribble or catch a pass. Those have never been strong tools in his belt. His offense is slowly coming back.

He's not the Maxi of old (and that contract is yeeeeesh), but I have an itty bitty tiny small piece of hope he can return to a rotation player sooner than later. Hopefully he uses the upcoming all star break to get back into shape.

[KillerLeft]

I actually thought Maxi had a soft bounce back game last night and wasn't horrible defensively. His shot looked smoother.

His shot is obviously a work in progress currently, but I've actually enjoyed the past SEVERAL games he's played, defensively. He has looked much better on that end than he did at the beginning of this year, at least to me.

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

To be honest, I super scared by it but I know there's a lot I don't know about both situations. 

Wiggins gets a bad rap because he was drafted no 1 overall. There's a lot of weirdness in GSW right now and Wiggins seems like a thoughtful kid who likes stability and sometimes struggles with confidence. He might not like competing for minutes with Kuminga and maybe he'd just like to move on. He was not a bad player in MIN by the way. He was good but he wasn't a franchise player. At times, he's been great in GSW. He's an NBA starter.

Kuzma gets a bad rap because of his hair and dating Hollywood-types. Yes, he played selfishly on a bad team. And he ran up his ppg to earn a bag. But that team was a mess and it's been that way for a very long time. There's a lot of weirdness in Washington right now and Kuzma seems like the type who never struggles for confidence and will make a business decision if the team isn't going to win. He wasn't a bad player in LA by the way. He was good but he's not a no 1 option on a good team. At times, he's been great in WAS. He's an NBA starter.

Luka runs the show here like Lebron. Kyrie is a dymanic scorer. If you add two good players to the mix and don't ask them to do too much I think this team will be much better. Both players are better than the 6' 5" guards and career backups we currently have on the wings.

Honestly, I think the only we we'll actually know if Wiggins and Kuzma will help is if Dallas trades for them. And I'll bet the Mavs do more diligence on their current situations than any of us could possibly do on the internet.

We all thought the TWolves got over on GS for unloading Wiggins on them.  He then proved to be at least the 3rd or 4th best player on a championship team.  If Wiggins was taken in the 2nd round he'd be known as a B+ NBA starter, "glue guy".

Kuzma is a good rebounder and a better defender than his reputation.  Last time he played with a great distributor, he was 44.3%fg and 36.1%3pt.  Good numbers for a big wing, not chucker numbers.

Maxi is done.  I said this last year and most people on this board tore me up for it.  He played only 18% of the minutes afforded him.  This year it's 11%.  In his prime he was a great catch and shoot big and a great perimeter defender.  It's been quite a few years since he was either.

GWill is as advertised.  A good backup, end of a tight playoff rotation (got a few playoff DNPs in BOS).  Too inconsistent to be a starter on a championship team.

I like J.Green off the bench, coming in as either a SG or SF.

This leaves us the need for a starting SF and PF.  I'd rather a PF/SF and a PF/C, giving us more flexibility.  Wiggins and Kuzma, while providing different value, are both more of PF/SF.

Need:
PF/SF - T.Eason, Kuzma, Wiggins, Bogs
PF/C - Z.Collins, P.Reed, D.Wade, Randle, Horford

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

His shot is obviously a work in progress currently, but I've actually enjoyed the past SEVERAL games he's played, defensively. He has looked much better on that end than he did at the beginning of this year, at least to me.

He's played 11% of the minutes afforded him this year. (48 games * 48 minutes = 2,304 ... played 243.1)

Any analysis of his performance has to be balanced with his %mins played.  Luka is 65%.

[omahen]

Stein with new trade piece. Mentions Dallas continued interest in Kuzma as his price has declined. Also mentiones Mavs had interest in Avdija and Gafford in the past.

https://substack.com/inbox/post/141279505

[Nowitzki Way]

Stein with new trade piece. Mentions Dallas continued interest in Kuzma as his price has declined. Also mentiones Mavs had interest in Avdija and Gafford in the past.

https://substack.com/inbox/post/141279505

Lets get crazy and trade for all 3. We really could use all 3. 

I'd like to see how that could work.

[Smitty]

Not correct. The NBA's most recent cap projection for 2024-25 is $142M, and the Mavs are committed to ~$172.045M, which means they are projected to be about $30M over the cap as is.

If you clear 3 players making a total of ~$42M, you also incur a cap charge for 2 empty salary slots at ~$1.17M each, which means you clear a bit less than $40M net, and your cap room in the summer would be only about $9.7M.

If that happened, instead of cap room they would opt to use the NT MLE of $12.95M and perhaps also the BAE of $$4.7M.

In those calculations I assumed they keep Curry. If he is waived, they save a bit more, but are still only $12.54M under the cap, still not as much spendable cap room as the NT MLE.

I want to circle back to this because there’s reports that the Mavs are interested in Bridges. I believe they’d find a way to resign him if that were the case. If you trade THJ, Holmes and Gwill (add a pick?) for Hayward and Bridges it brings the available cap space number next year to: 

~$24.5M - accounting for the $1M less cap # and no Curry.

Roster:

Luka - Hardy
Irving - Lawson
Exum - Green
Maxi - Omax
Lively - Powell
-4 empty slots

I’ll assume Bridges signs 4/72M-77M. Making year one 18M. Bringing the total cap space down to 6.5M

A 2-3 FRP’s plus Kyrie (40M) package for Lauri (18M) & Sexton (18M) trade brings you to ~10.5M in cap space to fill 2 more spots.

Luka - Hardy - (FA)
Exum - Sexton - Lawson
Bridges - Green
Lauri - Omax - Maxi
Lively - (FA) - Powell

Can you get Hartenstein for a starting salary of ~$10.5M and sign a vet min 3rd PG?


Anyway, this kind of thinking is my preferred way forward for the Mavs. Roster overhaul!

[Okstate819]

If they really value Hardy, Green, or OMAX as this suggests I would think Hardy would be the expendable one.

Grant Williams, Richaun Holmes, Jaden Hardy, and 2 2nd round picks for Kuzma?

[mvossman]

If they really value Hardy, Green, or OMAX as this suggests I would think Hardy would be the expendable one.

Grant Williams, Richaun Holmes, Jaden Hardy, and 2 2nd round picks for Kuzma?

I am probably the number one Kuz hater on this site, and I would pull that trigger.  I'm not sure 2 2nds and Hardy is enough for teams to take on those two contracts, let alone get Kuz.  The price may be going down on Kuz, but not this far.

[Chicagojk]

Stein with new trade piece. Mentions Dallas continued interest in Kuzma as his price has declined. Also mentiones Mavs had interest in Avdija and Gafford in the past.

https://substack.com/inbox/post/141279505

I assume the only way Dallas gets in the bidding if the package included salary, one of those three young prospects and 27 first.

I think Dallas would rate Hardy the lowest, but I would love how they would rate the first and the other two.  Which of them would not be on the table?

[Nowitzki Way]

I am probably the number one Kuz hater on this site, and I would pull that trigger.  I'm not sure 2 2nds and Hardy is enough for teams to take on those two contracts, let alone get Kuz.  The price may be going down on Kuz, but not this far.

 I'm on the side that wants Kuzma, so this is a no brainer for me. 

But way light on the Mavs side.

[Chicagojk]

 I'm on the side that wants Kuzma, so this is a no brainer for me. 

But way light on the Mavs side.

Yes just looking that the Kings could be serious players so unless washington really likes one of our youngsters you will need a comparable offer.  Kings could offer Barnes or Huerter with Mitchell and a 2026 first and second.   Dallas would need to uncles the 27 first, I believe.  Not sure I would be intereted

[Smitty]

Mavs continue to register trade interest in Kyle Kuzma, per @TheSteinLine

They “have a number of young players who could appeal to the Wizards — from last year's No. 24 overall pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper to third-year guard Jaden Hardy to the recently extended Josh Green”


Trading Omax and a FRP for Kuzma?! From MFFL to FML

[F Gump]

I want to circle back to this because there’s reports that the Mavs are interested in Bridges. I believe they’d find a way to resign him if that were the case. If you trade THJ, Holmes and Gwill (add a pick?) for Hayward and Bridges it brings the available cap space number next year to: 

~$24.5M - accounting for the $1M less cap # and no Curry.

$24.5M ? No. I previously gave you the result from doing all that (incl Curry) and it yielded $12.54M cap room, less than the NT MLE. 

Now, with a $141M cap expected, the cap room number after all that would be even smaller (about $11.57M).

However, I think it's all a pointless exercise anyhow. I don't expect either Bridges or CHA to allow him to be traded now, because it will strip him of Bird rights, which impacts both his salary potential on the next deal PLUS the value CHA can extract in a trade. Instead, I would expect him to be a hot topic in July. We'll see then how badly he has damaged his appeal, or whether he will have suitors for a big contract.

I'm curious - where are you reading that the Mavs are interested in a trade for Bridges?