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

[Kammrath]

he doesn't want to rely on the plan of offering the full MLE to any ONE player

This is correct. 

I would rather split the MLE on a couple options than blow the whole thing on a player that isn't a sure thing. Get more value contracts on the team that are tradeable assets later. 

On Burke:

1) I LOVED what he brought to the table in the playoffs, his fight, energy, and aggression were huge when Luka was on the bench. I cannot say enough about him. He was +16.0 (!!!!) in the playoffs. Mavs were DESTROYED when he didn't play.

2) I am also hesitant to have Curry/Burke/Brunson all at RC's disposal. I would rather choose two. 

3) I think Burke gives the Mavs the option to include one of Curry/Brunson in a trade to get a wing (either trading up in the draft or getting one available on the trade market). I LOVE Curry, but for Vassell or OPJ or similar I am ready to part ways.

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so you'll probably hate this, Kamm, but my thinking is that Jokic is REALLY bad on defense. 

So some more observations about DEN's dynamics in the playoffs:

1) Grant's DRating is better WITH Jokic than without. So Jokic isn't dragging Grant down. 

2) Jokic + Milsap is the weak spot, both offensively and defensively. When those two have been together in the playoffs DEN has been at its worst. 


Regular season:

1) Jokic + Milsap was one of the best combos. 

2) Jokic + Grant was HORRIBLE. 

3) Jokic was neutral defensively for the season (+0.1)

4) Grant had by far the worst DRating of the big minute guys. Basically every two man combo with Grant was the other player's worst two man combo. Yikes. 


Take away? 

1) I am still very nervous about Grant as a team defender. 

2) The playoffs are just a different animal and are all about matchups. The combo of Jokic + Milsap is somehow being exposed in a way it wasn't in the regular season for instance. OR it is just noise and the dudes are just playing poorly together for this stretch.