07-21-2021, 12:43 PM
(07-21-2021, 01:55 AM)Mavs2021 Wrote: We need a legit #2 and #3. There is no point to signing Portis and Batum right now. Those are finishing moves. They are players for teams, who have an established big three. Our best case is that we have a #1 in Luka and a #3 in Porzingis (on a max contract with injury risks always looming). All our focus should be on getting the #2 immediately, or making moves that get us closer to a #2 at the next TDL/summer, which means asset acquisition.
Right now Luka and DFS are the only fixed spots and even next summer, they only account for $42M in total salaries. Everybody else besides Porzingis becomes an expiring contract next summer or is on a rookie deal. So there is enough breathing space under the cap to make major moves. Of course that flexibility goes out of the window, if we start handing out 48/4 to players like Portis and Batum, plus 80/4 to Norman Powell.
I agree that we need to focus on legit starting quality talent (and ideally a #2 or #3) as opposed to going for 3 role players, but please God don't go down the plan powder route and try to kick the can another year. I don't want to be completely hamstrung (again!) because we are planning on "big moves" the following year.
It will be a lot harder to operate with cap space next year due to the Luka extension. This free agent class was suppose to be the best ever, but then went to shit with all the extensions. Same thing could easily happen for next offseason. The goal should simply be to maximize talent, not worry about impacting some grand plan next year that will take 10 things falling right to happen.