DAL OFFSEASON: Trade & FA | Mavs "mostly done...but you never know."

[ItsGoTime]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Mavericks/comments/ivm1po/chuck_thats_why_i_admire_dirk_nowitzki_he_didnt/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

I'm honestly glad Chuck said this. It doesn't help our case for getting Giannis, but it does help our case for keeping Luka.

[Mavs2019]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Mavericks/comments/ivm1po/chuck_thats_why_i_admire_dirk_nowitzki_he_didnt/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

I'm honestly glad Chuck said this. It doesn't help our case for getting Giannis, but it does help our case for keeping Luka.

Eh it´s not cheating to join Luka.

In a country of 2.1M people Luka is not even the best 21 year old athlete. How could that be cheating?

I think it would be irresponsible by Giannis not to help this poor guy out.

[MAVS-SLO]

With Minnesota having 1 draft pick and reports that they will take Edwards with that pick it will be interesting what they will do with Malik Beasley who is restricted free agent this year.

I think he could be available for MLE and very good addition to this Mavs roster without losing assests. Other option could also be S&T with Wright and WCS/Jackson.

Porzingis - Powell - Marjanovic
DFS - Kleber
Beasley - 18 pick
Hardaway jr - Curry
Luka - Brunson - Burke

[903Mavs]

I watch a lot of the T-Wolves (no judgment, please) and Malik Beasley is a player who I think can make a monumental leap and be a bonafide third option. High character guy too.

I think it makes sense for the Wolves to try to trade the first pick, Beasley, and fillers in an attempt to get Beal.

Regardless, would love to see Malik in Dallas.

[Hypermav]

https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/philadel...00920.html

[Mavs2019]

https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/philadel...00920.html

Sure Donnie for #21, #34, #35+ fully guaranteed salary for Nelson and no veto power for the Philly owner on trades.

Wright+Powell+THJ+Jackson for Simmons+Richardson next. 

Just to show Morey how you do a Gerson Rosas correctly.

[ClutchDirk]

https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/philadel...00920.html

https://media.giphy.com/media/QA7TBOueUo.../giphy.gif

[khaled1987]

https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/philadel...00920.html

I hope Donnie stays, but if Sixers came with big offer for him and he felt the need for change I would respect his wish.
He earned that tbh.
That said, I think he is happy here, he has a stable job and Dallas has been his home for over 20 years now. Him, Cuban and RC has been a trio that works very well together and put faith in each other.

[DanSchwartzgan]

• [b]Who might be gone:[/b] Tim Hardaway Jr. (free agent), Boban Marjanovic (free agent), Justin Jackson (free agent) and Willie Cauley-Stein (free agent)
  
  

But Dallas does have expiring contracts in Wright ($8.5 million) and Finney-Smith ($4.0 million) along with team-friendly deals in Powell, Curry and Kleber to make the maneuvers possible.

It may be time to explore Plan: Have-It-Both-Ways in more detail.  This is different than Plan Powder where you just clear cap space an hope.  The idea here is optionality.  Yes, we want to improve in 2020.  Yes, we'd like rights to good players beyond 2020.  But, we'd like the option to move on if something better comes along.  Given the numbers from Bobby Marks, we can't take on any new long term salary and in fact need to get rid of some 2021 salary at some point.  You would keep THJ on the roster (no extension) in plan HIBW's.  You can let him go if Giannis says yes.  But, he's a useful player who could be retained if Freak goes elsewhere.

Some data points...I've replaced two of the minimum slots in the numbers Marks put out with $898,310 (what Claxton signed for at #31 last year) and the $2.97 cap hold on WCS.  Keeping WCS fits the Have It Both Ways plan because Willie's hold is cheap and he can be let go of if necessary.  So, the roster as it stands is KP, Powell, Luka, Maxi, Wright, Curry, DFS, Brunson, 18, 31 and WCS plus two minimum cap holds.  Out are Jackson, THJ and Boban.  We are now about $17mm shy of a $32.7mm max slot for Giannis.

The concepts from here are:

1.  No multi-year guarantees for the MLE.  You can do team options for years two and three (to have it both ways).  This probably takes you out of contention for the best MLE players available.   

2.  Use your picks...especially #31 which is less expensive than a vet minimum.  You aren't going for the top MLE players, so using some of it to sign #31 to a 3 year deal isn't a problem.

3.  You have to trade $17mm in salary at some point.  It could certainly be right after Giannis says yes.  If you clear some or all of that space now, you have to take back expiring contracts and if possible, an expiring contract that improves the team if you decide to keep him.  

4.  Imagine your team post Giannis when making roster decisions.  GA is a PF who also gets some time as a small-ball center.  That position will probably go into which salary you trade away.  

5.  Pay attention to Agent relationships.  GA is represented by Octagon.  So, we won't be crapping on Seth Curry to bring in Giannis.  Other clients include Satoransky, Schroder, Culver, Anunoby, Adebayo, DiVincenzo, Solomon Hill, Culver, Monte Morris and Treveon Graham.

Some of the things we've talked about don't fit Plan HIBW's.  Wright for Thad Young is out.  Satoransky and his $5mm partial guarantee is also probably out.  OPJ, on the other hand, is the perfect HIBW's deal.  Big expiring contract AND good enough that you'd want to keep him if GA doesn't come here.  Snell works here.  We aren't talking stars.  More likely overpaid rentals.  Aldridge and Gibson are other possibilities.  Frank N. is a risky HIBW's move.  You wouldn't make the QO.  So, if he plays really well and you want to keep him, you will need cap room to do so.

As to the MLE, it could certainly be one year of Burke.  Personally, I'd rather take a flyer on Josh Jackson (over-pay with one year guaranteed).  RHJ on a one year overpay would also work.  Recall that you spent some of the MLE on #31, so this isn't Paul Millsap getting the entire MLE.  This is someone with some upside agreeing to a short deal for $7-$8mm.

The trickiest part of Plan HIBW's is the "who" and "when" part of getting rid of $17mm worth of salary.  Half of that is pretty easy.  There are tons of Wright or Wright plus Jackson deals floating around.  If you aren't giving up your pick you aren't getting anyone fantastic (Snell and Gibson were mentioned earlier as expiring deal who might provide more than Wright and Jackson).  But, if you want to get to OPJ leve, you have to include someone else.  I think it would be Maxi.  That combo gets you within $63,000 of hitting the max slot number in 2021.  I get that we all love Maxi, but trading Seth violates #5 above and no team is taking on Powell without seeing him in action.  That leaves Maxi and Wright as the path to $32.7mm (and Giannis plays Maxi's position).  It doesn't have to be right now.  You could certainly wait until Giannis says yes.  But if expiring OPJ and THJ and one year guarantee Josh Jackson are the ideal HIBW's plan, then Maxi is probably the cost.  

That trio is probably improvement over Wright/Jackson and Maxi (and you kept  your picks).  They are good players if you end up keeping them.  But, not so great that you wouldn't help them pack if Giannis said yes. 

KP/WCS/Boban
OPJ/Powell
DFS/Josh Jackson
THJ/Curry/Lee
Luka/Brunson

[KillerLeft]

I haven't seen OPJ enough to know if I'm on board, but I like the parameters of the plan.

[Dahlsim]

https://www.inquirer.com/sixers/philadel...00920.html

The article goes over all the reasons that Donnie would be a great pickup for the Sixers but it didn't seem to offer a clue as why it should make sense for Donnie. 

[Scott41theMavs]

Dan, does that include #18?

[DanSchwartzgan]

Dan, does that include #18?

Yes, the numbers include 18 and 31.  Of course, we don't know that $109mm will be the cap in 2021.  We don't even know what the CBA looks like yet.  I'm just giving parameters to get us to a number.

Killer:  I really like OPJ, but I could just as easily be fine with Wright/Jackson and a future 2nd for Snell and keep Maxi until the absolute moment you have to deal him.  That works just fine if Maxi doesn't get injured.

[Scott41theMavs]

Dan, does that include #18?

Yes, the numbers include 18 and 31. Of course, we don't know that $109mm will be the cap in 2021. We don't even know what the CBA looks like yet. I'm just giving parameters to get us to a number.

Killer: I really like OPJ, but I could just as easily be fine with Wright/Jackson and a future 2nd for Snell and keep Maxi until the absolute moment you have to deal him. That works just fine if Maxi doesn't get injured.

I could get behind everything in that plan except keeping THJ. I hold to my position that a 2020-21 with THJ in the starting lineup is a wasted year, and bringing THJ off the bench would reduce any trade value he would have.

[KillerLeft]

@"Scott41theMavs" Prepare for disappointment.

[Scott41theMavs]

@"Scott41theMavs" Prepare for disappointment.

I think they'd be far better off trading him for another expirer who actually plays defense if we go plan HIBW.

Our best chance of 2020-21 not being a wasted year with THJ in the starting lineup would be if Luka learns and works so hard that he becomes a plus defender. On one hand, that would be a little miraculous. On the other, our guy is so amazing that I wouldn't put it past him.

[KillerLeft]

I actually thought Luka was a pretty decent defender in the Clippers series. At the very lest, he was making fewer mistakes than he was at the beginning of the season, and at his size, I can see him being a plus defender really soon, tbh. 

I'm not saying THJ will be here next year, but I definitely don't get the sense that the Mavs look at him and see a problem.

[Scott41theMavs]

I actually thought Luka was a pretty decent defender in the Clippers series. At the very lest, he was making fewer mistakes than he was at the beginning of the season, and at his size, I can see him being a plus defender really soon, tbh.

I'm not saying THJ will be here next year, but I definitely don't get the sense that the Mavs look at him and see a problem.

Then that's awfully dumb of them, because defense matters. It's like a repeat of Powell. Why won't anyone tell RC (who is part of the Triangle of Trust and approves these decisions at least) that both sides of the ball matter? My goodness.

[KillerLeft]

Well, he's far from a difference maker on defense, but I don't think he's nearly as bad as you do. We'll see what they do!

[Kammrath]

In the 6 playoff games (SMALL SAMPLE SIZE ALERT!!!):

THJ: -17.2 defensive on/off
Luka: +7.4 defensive on/off

It's like a repeat of Powell.

You can keep SAYING DP is a terrible defender, but that isn't going to change reality.