2020-2021 ROSTER TALK: Archived

[StepBackJay]

Maybe we should stop trying to be LA and do what Indy did the moment free agency opened with Brogdon or what Utah did the moment free agency opened with Bogdonovic or what Charlotte did the moment free agency opened with Hayward.  Make those guys Plan A.  Atlanta used $37 million in space last summer to get Gallinari AND Bogdonovic.  Do that rather than waiting around on a 1% chance Kawhi picks us.  We can debate who that is in 2021, but it is the team's job to know who would jump at the chance to be here and who might have us further down their list.  

I don't see a path to Collins.  My interest in him was at the TDL when you could hold his matching rights.  I see a huge issue with trying to work this out with Atlanta while other names are flying off the board (we know how that movie ends).  I'm also not sure we would be Collins' first choice.  I get why a Dallas-centric community would think playing next to Luka and KP is perfect for any player.  However, if I am his agent, my main job is to get the most I can get now and set him up for the next contract.  I'd much rather place him where he would be first or second fiddle rather than third.  That way he's got a much better shot at a five year 7-9 max money deal the next time.

A great example of this is Christian Wood.  We sent Detroit more than enough salary to match Wood and pretty clearly they preferred Wright over Ariza.  The rest of the deal with Houston wasn't hard to replicate.  My takeaway isn't that the MBT failed.  My takeaway is Wood saw a bigger role (and greater future riches) in Houston.  Crowder said the same thing about Phoenix.   

So ya I don't disagree with the approach of operating more like Indy, Utah or even Atlanta. 

I do see a path to Collins which is you need to outbid other suitors. Mavs may or may not succeed but I think that's their plan A.

For Christian Wood I just don't think that was ever going to happen with the roster which had. Mavs weren't going to sign him to a big deal even if it was a potential good asset management move and I don't think Wood would have signed here anyway without a guaranteed starting spot.

Crowder also got a guaranteed starting spot and probably more years than the Mavs were willing to give. He would have been a great fit and asset move had the Mavs signed him instead of WCS/Burke.

So I don't disagree with your approach at all. Mavs want to believe they are on the same tier as LA teams, Miami, etc but they are more like on the Atlanta, Chicago, Houston tier of destinations which is to say those don't really have much of an advantage over small market Indy or Utah when it comes to signing FAs. At that level its really ab the contract size more than anything else.