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

[KillerLeft]

A few thoughts before the day gets going...

I think it is wishful thinking to project the spending of the MLE on one player and a trade for another (I've seen a lot of fantasy trades adding two starter-level guys lately).  I suspect it will be a trade and they save the MLE for into the season.  The most practical reason is you have to start planning for salary once Luka moves from Rookie deal to his Max.  If we get a multi-year guy today and project out Richardson/THJ money into the future we will get to the tax.  I think the team would like to have the MLE to be opportunistic during the season and also be in position to use it in 21.  I get that 22 is a long ways away, but reams plan out salary well into the futue.  

I don't expect THJ to be traded today.  He's a substantial part of what we do and bringing in Richardson hides his lack of playmaking.  I actually think the odds of an extension are higher than the odds of a trade.

Bogdonovic is redundant.  He won't be a target today.  IF WCS doesn't return and with Powell and KP a bit gimpy to start the season, our only full-time healthy big is Maxi (Boban is not full time).  We need another body up front (I actually think we need WCS back also and I hope he re-signs here).

We saw the minimal return Bogdonovic brought (and that was as a RESTRICTED FA).  All we have to do to S & T for an unrestricted free agent is give the other team something better than losing said player for nothing.  Wright is better than nothing.  I think he's needed in Detroit and I think they have made several moves that look like they are preparing themselves for life after Christian Wood.  Trading Kennard for a rookie SF (Bey) gives them even less playmaking.  They also traded away Bruce Brown.  Did I mention that Dwayne Casey knows Wright well.

Carlisle has long used vertical spacing as part of his offense and Wood is an excellent vertical spacer.  But, unlike Powell, he can shoot from the perimeter.  He'll get shoved around by Anthony Davis just like Powell does, but with KP and Maxi eating up minutes at C and Wood/Powell eating up minutes as vertical spacers it allows DFS to back up THJ at SF and be the Swiss Army Knife off the bench (a great role for him).  

Anyway, my read of the tea leaves is Wood in a S&T deal for Wright.  I hope it stops there because that means the money is capped at $14mm to start.  But, it wouldn't surprise me if Jackson was included and the money was closer to $17mm.

The first three paragraphs contain all the stuff I've been trying to figure out how articulate. You nailed it. 

Part of me thinks the Wood thing is pie in the sky, but part of me looks at the roll the Mavs are on and won't count them out.