Are you satisfied with the offseason (so far)

[omahen]

Since it looks probable that offseason is finished (McGee move on its own will not bring any drastic change) and if this is the team that will start next season, how do you feel about the offseason? Was it good or not?

[Smitty]

Since it looks probable that offseason is finished (McGee move on its own will not bring any drastic change) and if this is the team that will start next season, how do you feel about the offseason? Was it good or not?

It's difficult to be upset. We always want MORE and team building is never done but what they've been able to do this off-season is night and day compared to last off-season.

They could have traded Pick 10 for a veteran piece and found no real difference maker in Free agency like we all expected.

Instead they turned that pick into Lively, OMax and Holmes and dumped Bertans.
Swapped Reggie Bullock for Grant Williams
Signed Curry, the 6th all time best 3PT shooter to ~4.5M
Brought back Powell on a reasonable contract
Oh and they signed the #1 FA in Kyrie Irving for less than MAX money

[omahen]

I have to say, I have to vote no under this conditions. Mavs turned #10 into two picks, traded one bad contract (Bertans) for another (Holmes), and traded Bullock with the pick swap for GW and one SRP (minus SRP swap). Signed Curry which I don't really see how he fits on team as it is. Signed Exum for vet min.

I loved the creativity Mavs showed. Something that we didn't see in the first five years of Luka era in Dallas. I liked turning 10 into 12 and 24, I loved creativity in Grant trade. However, the moves made were mostly moves that a rebuilding team would do. Which is fine, if Mavs see themselves as a rebuilding team. I am just not sure they can afford to do that, with Luka growing impatient and Kyrie getting old while being notoriusly unreliable.

Mavs are basically aiming to improve based on a bunch of hopes:
- hope that rookies will be able to contribute. Lively definitely looks like a project with a lot of potential. I think he is too raw to be able to contribute. Everything regarding Omax will rely on his ability to hit open shots. If he can do it above 35 % mark, he will be great. If not - the league is full of vet min defense first guys
- hope that GW can maintain his production and impact in extended minutes. He certainly better fits what Mavs need, since they didn't have any PF. But good version of Bullock would also be very needed on the team
- hope that Green and Hardy will make a further step forward
- hope that everyone will stay healthy, including guys like Maxi that never seem to be able to stay healthy
- hope that Exum can remain to stay healthy, still can play defense and has really learned how to shoot
- hope that Holmes can be an upgrade at starting center from being deep bench in Sacramento for two seasons.

Realistically, some (a lot?) of this hopes will not happen.

There are still way too many "offense only" guys on the roster with very questionable defense, even if not completely bad. Luka, Irving, THJ, Hardy, Curry - four of them on guard position where Green and Exum are the only hopes for guys capable to provide some defense. THJ is an odd fit for this team, totally the same as in last two seasons. Fits great on offense but it is just impossible to construct a working defense with him next to Luka and Kyrie. Center position is arguably worst in league. They lack a decent PG for games without Luka or Kyrie or both.

Despite me liking the moves they made, I was expecting more from the offseason. More urgency and at least one more credible starter. Even the one they did got, is not really a proven starter but just a hope he can be a starter.

And btw, I just don't get the "Powell will be most likely starting center" takes. We have seasons of proof that Powell is not a capable starting center (on a contender). I can't see a scenario where Mavs are a contender with Powell as a starting center. So, unless Holmes is a total lost cause, please play him. Don't repeat the Wood mistake. Play him, inflate his numbers and most importantly, increase his value. Give him a chance from day one and make him his to lose. Who cares, if Mavs lose a couple of games more than they would with Powell, if Holmes numbers will be more of an empty numbers. They are not contender in any case.

[mvossman]

There are still way too many "offense only" guys on the roster with very questionable defense, even if not completely bad. Luka, Irving, THJ, Hardy, Curry - four of them on guard position where Green and Exum are the only hopes for guys capable to provide some defense. THJ is an odd fit for this team, totally the same as in last two seasons. Fits great on offense but it is just impossible to construct a working defense with him next to Luka and Kyrie. 

I think this take regarding Timmy might be outdated.  He played quality defense last season and could actually be qualified as a 3&D guy if he continues.  Last season the Luka/THJ/Kyrie lineup had 111 defensive rating (way better than team average) and a net of +13 in 226 minutes.  That is not a huge sample, but it seems like the short term evidence is they can play together.

[ItsGoTime]

I said yes, I don’t see any way around this offseason being any less than good.

I am absolutely with you Omahen in that we should have done better (why isn’t the 28 pick swap a good alternative in the Capela trade? If 2 SRPs are not enough but 27 is too much, it seems like such a simple compromise.). Feels like they are valuing that 27 (and THJ) like Masai values Siakam and OG. A FRP is what is used to get a starting player who will anchor your defense so I would have used it, especially if it means they shut up about wanting Green or Hardy (which I have no doubt is also being discussed). Take the names out of it and tell me a good rebounder and defensive anchoring, rim protecting C who gets 12 and 11 for a good 6th man bench player who has improved defense on 14-16 ppg and a first is not a deal that gets done around the league as good value?

On to another subject as I know someone is going to come in and tell me that pick is too valuable and Capela ain’t it. Can we cut to the chase and just agree to disagree?

Powell vs Holmes. As much as I want Holmes to succeed here (especially considering this is probably it), I think the continuity of having Powell out there will take precedence at least to start the season. I’m thinking though, that it’s Lively that starts out getting less minutes, much to the chagrin of most everyone here. Holmes gets the main backup minutes until he proves he’s better than Powell, or is the 3rd string C from Sac. At that point, it’s either Powell/Maxi/Lively or Holmes/Maxi/Lively for the rest of the season.

In conclusion, please let there be more to this offseason!

[mvossman]

And btw, I just don't get the "Powell will be most likely starting center" takes. We have seasons of proof that Powell is not a capable starting center (on a contender). I can't see a scenario where Mavs are a contender with Powell as a starting center. So, unless Holmes is a total lost cause, please play him. Don't repeat the Wood mistake. Play him, inflate his numbers and most importantly, increase his value. Give him a chance from day one and make him his to lose. Who cares, if Mavs lose a couple of games more than they would with Powell, if Holmes numbers will be more of an empty numbers. They are not contender in any case.

I think most of the takes regarding Powell starting are mostly about dissatisfaction regarding the center position as a whole.  I don't think the Holmes situation will be anything like the Wood situation.  I think Wood had known red flags and the team recognized some of it almost immediately.  By all accounts, Holmes is a high character guy and they will give him every opportunity to take the starting job.  They had no intention of starting Powell last season and he is basically Holmes insurance for this one.

[KillerLeft]

I said yes, I don’t see any way around this offseason being any less than good.

I am absolutely with you Omahen in that we should have done better (why isn’t the 28 pick swap a good alternative in the Capela trade? If 2 SRPs are not enough but 27 is too much, it seems like such a simple compromise.). Feels like they are valuing that 27 (and THJ) like Masai values Siakam and OG. A FRP is what is used to get a starting player who will anchor your defense so I would have used it, especially if it means they shut up about wanting Green or Hardy (which I have no doubt is also being discussed). Take the names out of it and tell me a good rebounder and defensive anchoring, rim protecting C who gets 12 and 11 for a good 6th man bench player who has improved defense on 14-16 ppg and a first is not a deal that gets done around the league as good value?

On to another subject as I know someone is going to come in and tell me that pick is too valuable and Capela ain’t it. Can we cut to the chase and just agree to disagree?

Powell vs Holmes. As much as I want Holmes to succeed here (especially considering this is probably it), I think the continuity of having Powell out there will take precedence at least to start the season. I’m thinking though, that it’s Lively that starts out getting less minutes, much to the chagrin of most everyone here. Holmes gets the main backup minutes until he proves he’s better than Powell, or is the 3rd string C from Sac. At that point, it’s either Powell/Maxi/Lively or Holmes/Maxi/Lively for the rest of the season.

In conclusion, please let there be more to this offseason!

I don’t agree with all of this, but I think it’s a fair perspective and nothing is over the top. 

I feel a little sorry for other folks who can’t get past the Powell thing. Sure, they clearly wanted to do better at that, specific position, but they are allocating resources responsibly for the first time in like a decade, and imo they have a lot of tangible improvement to show for it. I’d go so far as to say they had a superior off-season by employing a frugal approach than they would have had they spent freely. 

They went from 0 athletic, defensive forwards to 2. That, alone, will change this season’s outlook for me. Williams and O-max are BOTH going to be so much more impactful than I think most realize. 

They got younger. That won’t help win games this year, but it sure does pump some hope into a situation that was pretty damn bleak a couple of months ago.

They re-signed Kyrie on a more team-friendly deal than I expected. Either he works out here or he doesn’t, but if it’s the latter, I can now envision him being tradable to positive effect, and the rest of the roster makes it clear what you’d want back in that eventuality.

Say what you want about Powell, but on THIS contract? Yes, please. 

The Curry move is “meh” from me, but it’s certainly more positive than negative. 

There’s reason to hope that both Green and Hardy can take a step this season. In Green’s case, that step means he’d be a quality high-minute player. 

They replaced Bertans with Holmes, a player who has an outside chance of actually being useful, and a player who just last season (and certainly the season before) people were proposing as a target for the Mavs to actually spend assets to acquire.

They added Lively as a project center. “Project” has a wide array of meanings around here, but come on…can’t we all agree that he’s a better use of time/resources than Bamba or Bol Bol? Surely, we can. If not, think about the recent swings from the past: WCS…Moses Brown…Chris. I have a good feeling about this one.

They subtracted Bullock, the biggest disappointment of last season for me. 

Even the end of the bench swing they took on Exum has me a little jazzed. I like him more than Ntilikina. 

They didn’t blow the last bit of their draft capital, against all odds. 

What I expected was a Kyrie signing and then a trade on draft night involving #10 and probably ‘27 that brought in one underwhelming veteran. If they had gone that way, we’d have realized by the all-star break that this entire era was done because there would have been no room to move forward from there. All draft capital gone. Same level of team, only older and sadder. Most importantly, asset-poorer.

The Mavs just gave themselves so many ways to improve in the near future. This off-season has exceeded my wildest expectations and they might be able to accomplish one more thing. Those who see Powell’s name jotted into rotation speculation and can’t get past it are losing the plot a little, imho.

[Chicagojk]

Hmm…I am thrilled with the direction the team took this offseason. I was tired of paying premium prices for guys already fully mature. We had limited assets and I thought a win now move this year would not have catapulted us up to favorite while also making us look at buzzsaws coming with all the young talent in the west. So, if these guys can play, the Mavs are in a much better position moving forward.

Now, did they do enough to compete now? Probably not. If there was a choice between next year and 2-3 years down the road, I think they made a wise decision.

So, what are the Mavs counting on? I think they are counting that Luka is a top 5 player and that Kyrie is sane and a top 25 player. If true, I think the Mavs will have a top 10 offense because those guys are that good. For the rest of the roster, it is surrounding those two guys with guys who do the small winning things that allow Luka to be Luka and allow Kyrie to be Kyrie. So instead of being awful in defense and rebounding can Dallas get to 15th in both? Not great, but not awful. If you are top 10 in offense and league average in defense, where does that put you when you have a superstar? I think that is the vision. The vision is not fully built, but I think that is what they are trying to build.

[BigDirk41]

This is a big improvement from any year I can remember. I do feel like they have dropped the ball on bringing in a 2nd new starter and that needs to be addressed before I can say this off season was a home run. It's already a Mavs home run, but a starting 5 would be an off-season the top teams are able to pull off year in and year out.

[Jason Terry]

I don’t agree with all of this, but I think it’s a fair perspective and nothing is over the top. 

I feel a little sorry for other folks who can’t get past the Powell thing. Sure, they clearly wanted to do better at that, specific position, but they are allocating resources responsibly for the first time in like a decade, and imo they have a lot of tangible improvement to show for it. I’d go so far as to say they had a superior off-season by employing a frugal approach than they would have had they spent freely. 

They went from 0 athletic, defensive forwards to 2. That, alone, will change this season’s outlook for me. Williams and O-max are BOTH going to be so much more impactful than I think most realize. 

They got younger. That won’t help win games this year, but it sure does pump some hope into a situation that was pretty damn bleak a couple of months ago.

They re-signed Kyrie on a more team-friendly deal than I expected. Either he works out here or he doesn’t, but if it’s the latter, I can now envision him being tradable to positive effect, and the rest of the roster makes it clear what you’d want back in that eventuality.

Say what you want about Powell, but on THIS contract? Yes, please. 

The Curry move is “meh” from me, but it’s certainly more positive than negative. 

There’s reason to hope that both Green and Hardy can take a step this season. In Green’s case, that step means he’d be a quality high-minute player. 

They replaced Bertans with Holmes, a player who has an outside chance of actually being useful, and a player who just last season (and certainly the season before) people were proposing as a target for the Mavs to actually spend assets to acquire.

They added Lively as a project center. “Project” has a wide array of meanings around here, but come on…can’t we all agree that he’s a better use of time/resources than Bamba or Bol Bol? Surely, we can. If not, think about the recent swings from the past: WCS…Moses Brown…Chris. I have a good feeling about this one.

They subtracted Bullock, the biggest disappointment of last season for me. 

Even the end of the bench swing they took on Exum has me a little jazzed. I like him more than Ntilikina. 

They didn’t blow the last bit of their draft capital, against all odds. 

What I expected is a Kyrie signing and then a trade on draft night involving #10 and probably ‘27 that brought in one underwhelming veteran. If they had gone that way, we’d have realized by the all-star break that this entire era was done because there would have been no room to move forward from there. All draft capital gone. Same level of team, only older and sadder. Most importantly, asset-poorer.

The Mavs just gave themselves so many ways to improve in the near future. This off-season has exceeded my wildest expectations and they might be able to accomplish one more thing. Those who see Powell’s name jotted into rotation speculation and can’t get past it are losing the plot a little, imho.

Love this post. It’s fun to think about

Lively
OMax
GWill
Green
Luka
Hardy

Does anyone in the entire league have a better under 25 core? Memphis/Indiana seem closest

[Chicagojk]

I will add the Mavs need to be right and feel comfortable with Richard Holmes. Hopefully they worked him out in Vegas. Also, hopefully he spends time in Dallas this summer as well. Dallas can’t start camp and then find out Holmes can’t play. I don’t know how you can feel confident either way as he hardly played last year. That is typically a sign though. Not always, but more often than not.

On Lively, I admit he is raw. I will believe it when I see it that he starts in the G-league. A few media has mentioned it, so maybe I am off. I get most excited about him doing the easy things ok now. The talking on defense, the rotating, the activity, the basic positioning on defense, etc. All I want him to be now is good at the easy things. If he can do that, he will play now. His screens still need a lot of work.

[ThisIStheYear]

Petered out a bit at the end, but they made the right moves. Let’s see if they got the right players.

[Mavs2021]

Yes, No, Maybe.

A lot depends on what their strategies are for next season. If it´s another win at all costs season with a rotation of

Doncic 30/Curry 18
Irving 30/Hardy 18
Green 18/ THJ 30
Williams 24/Kleber 24
Powell 24/Holmes 24

....and ends with a 7-10 seed, then not much has been achieved this off-season. 

If Hardy, Green, Williams get 20+ MPG and Omax/Lively each get 10+ MPG, while we finish 7-10 seed, this was a great off-season.

Basically the strategy needs to fit the summer, too. Imho the strategy should be to invest minutes into the younger players early to accelerate their development and simply let it play out.

Don´t get pressured into any stupid all-in moves, if they are not there anymore this summer, then go get 1-2 young veteran that possibly need an opportunity to shine. Could be trade assets in six months.

[ballsrchr]

I had to vote yes...so far. There are a lot of pertinent points made by so many posters that I'm not going to "like" each post. This off season has stood head and shoulders above previous off seasons in that most moves made were for "potential" and/or bench at good value. And...there is still room/money left for at least one more move. I hope it's a good one...

[MFFL]

Even if the Mavs don't make another move I'm happy with this offseason. But hopefully there is one more move for a big man

[Scott41theMavs]

Yes, No, Maybe.

A lot depends on what their strategies are for next season. If it´s another win at all costs season with a rotation of

Doncic 30/Curry 18
Irving 30/Hardy 18
Green 18/ THJ 30
Williams 24/Kleber 24
Powell 24/Holmes 24

....and ends with a 7-10 seed, then not much has been achieved this off-season. 

If Hardy, Green, Williams get 20+ MPG and Omax/Lively each get 10+ MPG, while we finish 7-10 seed, this was a great off-season.

Basically the strategy needs to fit the summer, too. Imho the strategy should be to invest minutes into the younger players early to accelerate their development and simply let it play out.

Don´t get pressured into any stupid all-in moves, if they are not there anymore this summer, then go get 1-2 young veteran that possibly need an opportunity to shine. Could be trade assets in six months.

OMax has the skills to be a rotational player already, as in, top 8 minutes on the team. I would be stunned and disappointed if he isn't a starter by the time the playoffs roll around.

I know everyone loves Hardy, but I think his ceiling is as a Jordan Clarkson type player. He's the microwave off the bench. I understand that that's people's presumption of his role this year already (presuming we trade THJ), but this is a guy who is never going to start for a good team. Green needs to become a lot more aggressive offensively and even improve a bit on D. 

As for the offseason as a whole, given where we were at game 80 of last season - rotten roster and no assets - I don't see how anyone can bitch about the direction and the results. I understand that it doesn't fit the parameters of "win now" for a guy like omahen who is concerned about losing Luka. I hope that someone had the guts to bring Luka in at the end of last season and say, "Hey, look, man, we have done a terrible job of building around you since we drafted you, and we really put ourselves in a bind assets-wise. Please forgive us. Mark is going to back off and we're going to bring in this guy Lindsay, who is a smart team builder, to help us. Thing is, it's going to take a couple of years, and we need you to be patient with us. The way to improve in this new CBA era isn't to bring in some third max player next to you and Kai, but to go young, and that's going to take a year or two to pan out. Please trust the process."

[Mavs2021]

OMax has the skills to be a rotational player already, as in, top 8 minutes on the team. I would be stunned and disappointed if he isn't a starter by the time the playoffs roll around.

I know everyone loves Hardy, but I think his ceiling is as a Jordan Clarkson type player. He's the microwave off the bench. I understand that that's people's presumption of his role this year already (presuming we trade THJ), but this is a guy who is never going to start for a good team. Green needs to become a lot more aggressive offensively and even improve a bit on D. 

As for the offseason as a whole, given where we were at game 80 of last season - rotten roster and no assets - I don't see how anyone can bitch about the direction and the results. I understand that it doesn't fit the parameters of "win now" for a guy like omahen who is concerned about losing Luka. I hope that someone had the guts to bring Luka in at the end of last season and say, "Hey, look, man, we have done a terrible job of building around you since we drafted you, and we really put ourselves in a bind assets-wise. Please forgive us. Mark is going to back off and we're going to bring in this guy Lindsay, who is a smart team builder, to help us. Thing is, it's going to take a couple of years, and we need you to be patient with us. The way to improve in this new CBA era isn't to bring in some third max player next to you and Kai, but to go young, and that's going to take a year or two to pan out. Please trust the process."

Let´s hope so.

[Bayliss]

I think this is the first offseason that I remember that the Mavs actually targeted players who weren't pipe dreams and went after them without sacrificing a ton to get them.

That is smart GMing and why teams have passed the Mavs by since 2011. Maybe Mark Cuban finally quit being a Jerry Jones and letting others do what they need to do... or maybe his ego has finally shrunk to standard proportions.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

B- for me

I like their individual moves but I don't like the roster.

I think Luka taking the next step is my biggest hope. I mean in terms of being in shape, learning how to share the ball with another star, and also his temperament when things aren't going well.

There isn't a lot of leadership on the roster. If the Mavs start off say 17-21, I fear Kyrie or JKidd will be saying stupid things to the media like "look at our roster. it's not built to win now." They are two of the least accountable guys in the NBA. I don't think rebuilding and trying to win at the same time works for the most part in any sport.

[The Jom]

LOVE!!! this off season! Mavs got PAID with significant draft compensation for taking on a 2-year project at a POSITION OF NEED! I like the best-player-available mantra when you’re drafting. But with reclamations? When you’re just taking a swing, take one where you can afford to play the guy and give him a chance to work out. A brilliant move.

I LOVE targeting Exum and Thybulle. These are guys who can really contribute if they could just find a 3-point shot. Both showing signs of having precisely that under development. Yes, guys can and regularly do become 3-point shooters for the first time in their mid to late 20s.

I LOVE getting Kyrie on a tradeable contract! Did NOT expect that to happen. That required foresight and planning.

I LOVE taking advantage of the newly worst-run franchise in the NBA! Your Boston Celtics, beantown fans. Let Smart and Williams go for peanuts and bring on KP at an albatross price right before awarding Jaylen Brown the largest contract in NBA history. Brad Stevens won’t last the season, friends.

I LOVE landing Seth and keeping Dwight at discount rates! Those guys will contribute way above their new pay grades. Super-efficient scorers who are absolutely lethal against matchups that can’t exploit their weaknesses. There are lots of those matchups for bench pieces. It’s only playing (and paying) them as starters that causes concern.

I LIKE (yeah, just like) the Lively/Prosper/Williams additions. All could work out great. I’m just cognizant that it’s way too early to cover judge those books. Like I did with Wood early on last season.

I LIKE that the Mavs keep popping up as possibilities for giveaways of Ayton and Capela. I get that there are concerns, but our front office appears to be committed to only taking them on in exchange for salary dumps. I don’t see how anyone can dislike that. And I’m not yet convinced that neither Atlanta nor Phoenix will cave out of desperation and do those deals yet.