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

[Mavs2019]

Mavs make a LOT of trades
Mavs did not do right by the '11 team
Anything else that feeds into this PERCEPTION of Dallas as a negative destination among players is not a bad example, no matter how much we disagree with it logically:

No matter how much we know about the Barnes trade, it got blasted on SportsCenter and there are more players who build their perception based on that presentation of the game rather than asking: Barnes what happened and how did you feel?
DSJ could feel like he got screwed by being sent to NY (after the fact) and is salty toward Rick/MBT
Matthews, DAJ (personal feelings of justification aside), and Barnes are among the majority of FA signings by Dallas who did not finish their contracts here.

This helps explain part of the issues Dallas has among Free Agent players who consistently pick other teams instead of Dallas.

I think it´s as simple as the MBT has been aimless and poor for a decade. 

We haven´t won a play-off series in a decade (starting from the highest point possible: the champions), which puts us firmly in the "top" seven teams of teams in the league with such a streak.

We are not Knicks, Kings or Hornets bad, but the performance has also not been anywhere near a top 10 franchise level, where you´d comfortably commit yourself for 3-4 years as an elite player.

1. We never valued the draft.
2. We never asset managed (selling capspace/acquiring picks).
3. We never convinced free agents in meetings.
4. Whenever the national media talked about the Mavs the message was: Carlisle has a bunch of misfits overachieving again. They finished 44-38. 44 overachieving wins are worse than 44 underachieving wins. Overachieving means the talent isn´t even worth 0.500.

So if you are a player, you ask yourself: What is this FO actually good at. Do they have a long-term plan.


You need to build a smart reputation as a front office to be a draw an elite player. That´s why players follow around Riley, West, Morey and to a lesser extent Ainge or Ujiri.

The Mavs are just starting to rebuild that reputation amongst agents and players again. Therefore the last two off-seasons were a step in the right direction. At least there (seemingly) is a recognizable long-term project plan in place now.....

....and of course LUKA DONCIC.