(07-07-2021, 03:43 PM)VintagePejav2 Wrote: There is apparently a lot of momentum in the building towards a Conley + Oubre free agency, after the inevitable Kawhi strikeout. Utah is thirsty for some perimeter defenders and J-Rich + Kleber for Conley fits (Utah expects to let Niang walk as well). It will not be $20M per for Oubre.
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Pretty good source told me..
Plan A Kawhi (they’re trying but unlikely)
Plan B Conley & Oubre (Conley has a lot of fans, especially Dirk; Luka and Oubre know each other from BDA, Nico has a relationship from Nike)
Interesting.
A few thoughts:
- Conley seems like a prime candidate for our big FA acquisition. He fits both a need (veteran secondary playmaker who also plays defense) and a pattern (previous big-name Mavs FA target where they finish 2nd but land him later after the contract ages). So I can totally see it.
- If operating over the cap, JRich+Maxi can get Conley to $25mm in the first year. Which seems right. So taking your trade suggestion at face value, that makes me want to make other moves first to maximize the use of our cap space.
- If Dallas lets THJ go, that leaves about $20mm in cap space. Interestingly, this is exactly what Oubre is rumored to want. So maybe there really is something going on there where Oubre's agent is publicly signaling his client's FA preference.
- I don't think Oubre is worth $20mm. And I also don't think he's worth losing THJ for.
So I can believe that something is going on with those two guys. But for it to make the most sense to me, one of two things would push it over the top:
1. Split the $20mm between Oubre and another player before trading for Conley. Oubre and that other player would need to be more valuable than THJ + a MLE free agent. For example, (and knowing that Maxi is traded) dividing that money between Oubre and Markkanen could be interesting. Having both on deals just over the MLE could be good options for them and good values for Dallas. Maybe they also let WCS go to free up a few more million to seal the deal.
2. Operate over the cap. Keep THJ, sign Oubre to the MLE, and trade for Conley.
Surveying the FA options, I think either outcome could be a pretty effective offseason. The most important thing is to just add talent.