2020-2021 ROSTER TALK: Archived

[mvossman]

Let me offer up the idea that Markkanen could be high up the list of B-Z. Bulls do not seem eager to keep him and are laser focused on Lonzo Ball. The Bulls would gladly swap Lauri for Lonzo but it's unclear whether Pels would have any interest. I do believe Lonzo will be mostly headed to Chicago in one way or another.

Chicago has Aminu, Young and Satoransky. All useful players + Coby White to throw at New Orleans in either change for Lonzo into cap space or potentially salary matching. Young and Sato have buyouts in case Chicago has to cut them to clear out space.

Interestingly enough between Markkanen, Sato, Young and Aminu - all of those guys would be good on the Mavs if Chicago is needing to give away players. My guess is that Chicago will be able to include enough of those players in a trade, even if it's a 3 way so that they can operate over the cap. This will allow them to keep guys like Theis.

For the Mavs I think they could probably get Markkanen for almost nothing in a S&T that sends J Rich to a third team, maybe even as part of a multi-team deal that is constructed for the Lonzo/Bulls trade. If Markkanen wants to play for the Mavs and Bulls are ready to move on anyway then Mavs can probably get him for just a 2nd round pick. The Bulls would get a pretty good trade exception which could be useful for them later.

Markkanen would probably not start on the Mavs and I think Mavs would try to get a team-friendly deal of some sort. I still would project Powell to be the starter in this situation with Markkanen coming off the bench alongside Maxi.

There is some redundancy with KP of course but in a good way I think. For one KP, will probably get some nights off still which means you have his stand-in ready to go. If Markkanen plays as good or better than KP then it makes it all the easier to dump KP even if the return isn't great.

So in this situation again Mavs stay over the cap, adding Markkanen as a talent/value grab for a player that wants to play with Luka. Mavs would use MLE on a ball0handler I think, with Dragic a leading candidate.

Your main rotation guys are:

Luka/Dragic
THJ/Brunson
DFS/Green
KP/Maxi
Powell/Markkanen/WCS

That would be a terribly disappointing off season.  This is our last year where we have any room to maneuver and we don't improve the starting lineup at all?

I'm not sure why we would be penciling in Powell as a starter?  He rarely started all year and got hardly any minutes in the playoff series.  That does not scream starter to me.  The 4 spot is definitely our biggest weakness right now.

This team has no chance to contend until we add some legit starters that can play quality defense.  We tried last year and failed with JRich, but it is still the highest priority from a long-term standpoint.

If KP gets back to his prior levels of defense, you don't have to have another big at the 4.  I think you could add another wing to the starting lineup and DFS and Luka could share 4 duties.  Something like KP/DFS/Luka/Ball/THJ would probably work.

If KP's mobility is going to be what it was this year, then he has to go, even if its for air.  There is no chance you can have a starting lineup including the version of KP with Luka and THJ that could possibly be good enough defensively.  I am leaning towards needing to go this route regardless in the long term.  Get a true defensive anchor at the 5 (sign Holmes or trade for Turner or Adams) to go with Luka/DFS/THJ and work with that.