Draft Night Deal: Klay Thompson for Shake Milton & Gabe Vincent

[Bentley1225]

In an effort to maximize cap flexibility in summer of 2026 for Mavs as point in time to add a 3rd wheel to AD/KI mix, ill offer this simple swap:

To Los Angeles Lakers
-Klay Thompson (2 years, $34 million)

To Dallas
-Gabe Vincent (1 year, $11.5 million)
-Shake Milton (2 years, $6.3 million)

Why?
-The Lakers add another spot up shooter in Klay who returns to west coast and is reunited with Luka

-The Mavs create $14 million in cap flexibility for 2026 off-season flexibility around AD and KI assuming both guys sign extensions this summer. Milton replaces Klay in rotation and Vincent gives them PG depth short term while KI is out.

[jayjaysee]

Dallas doesn’t have that 2nd / don’t have any 2nd… Utah shouldn’t do it. Not sure I like it for them if they did get an early 2nd.

No reason to add Klay when you don’t even know if you’re tanking or not.

[jbk1234]

I think I'd rather have Klay. It's one extra year of salary and he's the better player.

[Bentley1225]

Dallas doesn’t have that 2nd / don’t have any 2nd… Utah shouldn’t do it. Not sure I like it for them if they did get an early 2nd.

No reason to add Klay when you don’t even know if you’re tanking or not.

I have to stop looking at Spotrac Trade Machine for correct draft pick asset base for teams. Youre right, Dallas doesn't own a 2nd round pick from Detroit. Ill try to alter OP to salvage it.

[babyjax13]

I like the revision, I think this makes more sense. LAL gets a usable player who wanted to play with Luka, anyway, Dallas gets future flexibility.

[Texas Chuck]

No reason for dallas to downgrade.

Sent from my SM-A156U using RealGM mobile app

[JimmyPlopper]

For a team like Dallas which has Irving and Davis as guys who are in the latter part of their own prime, it seems odd that Dallas would want to shift away from a proven bucket maker in Klay who fits the same timeline. I don't see the trade working even if picks were added for those reasons. It doesn't make sense directionally IMO. It would give Dallas a bit more cap room next year, but I think that doesn't move the needle for them

[gswhoops]

Yeah I don’t see the incentive for Dallas to downgrade just to drop one year of sub-MLE salary

[jayjaysee]

I think this one would have to be like

Maxi/Vincent/“Dallas salary/asset” to “..”
Klay to LAL
???? to Dallas

Don’t think Dallas should downgrade just to clear the salary. Unless you’re tanking. Then yes, Dallas should do the OP. But unfortunately, I don’t see Dallas tanking.

But LAL shouldn’t hard cap themselves at the first apron. So you should send out Maxi/Vincent. Or Rui, but think he’s worth more than Klay. Or he’s more neutral than Klay.

[Bentley1225]

Yeah I don’t see the incentive for Dallas to downgrade just to drop one year of sub-MLE salary

Sure, the Lakes maybe compelled to add their 2025 2nd if that would help incentivize the Mavs. The best path forward for Mavs is to front end as much of their cap as possible in an effort to create flexibility to add a better 3rd wheel than a 36 year old Klay Thompson .

[Texas Chuck]

Yeah I don’t see the incentive for Dallas to downgrade just to drop one year of sub-MLE salary

Sure, the Lakes maybe compelled to add their 2025 2nd if that would help incentivize the Mavs. The best path forward for Mavs is to front end as much of their cap as possible in an effort to create flexibility to add a better 3rd wheel than a 36 year old Klay Thompson .

It makes no sense for Dallas to downgrade next year for a very late 2nd just to save some salary they might not need to save in the season after next.

And it feels important to remind people that Klay isn't useless despite this board's constant insistence that he is. He still makes 3's at high volume on good percentages (I think 13th in the league in made 3's this year). And he does so not just from corners and not just standstill catch and shoot so his spacing advantages are even greater than what the stats say.

He's not dead money Dallas needs to dump and certainly not a year before they might or might not even want to dump it. Assuming Kyrie re-signs, which I think has to be the operating assumption, they won't be a cap space team anyway. And if they really want in on KD this summer, and I think they do, his salary basically has to be in the matching.

Its just losing flexibility and losing a useful player for no reason at all.

[gswhoops]

Yeah I don’t see the incentive for Dallas to downgrade just to drop one year of sub-MLE salary

Sure, the Lakes maybe compelled to add their 2025 2nd if that would help incentivize the Mavs. The best path forward for Mavs is to front end as much of their cap as possible in an effort to create flexibility to add a better 3rd wheel than a 36 year old Klay Thompson .

It makes no sense for Dallas to downgrade next year for a very late 2nd just to save some salary they might not need to save in the season after next.

And it feels important to remind people that Klay isn't useless despite this board's constant insistence that he is. He still makes 3's at high volume on good percentages (I think 13th in the league in made 3's this year). And he does so not just from corners and not just standstill catch and shoot so his spacing advantages are even greater than what the stats say.

He's not dead money Dallas needs to dump and certainly not a year before they might or might not even want to dump it. Assuming Kyrie re-signs, which I think has to be the operating assumption, they won't be a cap space team anyway. And if they really want in on KD this summer, and I think they do, his salary basically has to be in the matching.

It’s just losing flexibility and losing a useful player for no reason at all.

Agree with all of this; I’ll only add (because these things do matter as much as we sometimes pretend they don’t) that I don’t see Nico Harrison making a deal with the Lakers anytime soon unless it’s a clear win for Dallas.

[Bentley1225]

Yeah I don’t see the incentive for Dallas to downgrade just to drop one year of sub-MLE salary

Sure, the Lakes maybe compelled to add their 2025 2nd if that would help incentivize the Mavs. The best path forward for Mavs is to front end as much of their cap as possible in an effort to create flexibility to add a better 3rd wheel than a 36 year old Klay Thompson .

It makes no sense for Dallas to downgrade next year for a very late 2nd just to save some salary they might not need to save in the season after next.

And it feels important to remind people that Klay isn't useless despite this board's constant insistence that he is. He still makes 3's at high volume on good percentages (I think 13th in the league in made 3's this year). And he does so not just from corners and not just standstill catch and shoot so his spacing advantages are even greater than what the stats say.

He's not dead money Dallas needs to dump and certainly not a year before they might or might not even want to dump it. Assuming Kyrie re-signs, which I think has to be the operating assumption, they won't be a cap space team anyway. And if they really want in on KD this summer, and I think they do, his salary basically has to be in the matching.

Its just losing flexibility and losing a useful player for no reason at all.

Sure the genesis of the OP is to increase chances to land KD next summer. The best way to compete for a title in 2027 is to extend AD and KI this summer, ideally get a top 10 pick in 2025 draft, informally tank for 2025-26 while maximizing development curve of their appreciating assets, land a high 2026 1st and have flexibility to sign KD. The Mavs already have Christie and Hardy as appreciating assets who play same position who combined make less than Klay.

I get it you’re not just going to give Klay away but it’s imperative Mavs maximize cap flexibility for summer of 2026 to compete for titles in 2027 and 2028 while AD and KI still in prime and they have ability to sign KD without giving up assets in a trade to upgrade roster/build around a big 3 post Luka trade.

[jayjaysee]

I’d rather pay Bridges in 18 months than KD personally.

Going to cost less and would survive a four year contract.

I don’t think Dallas writes next season off, while keeping AD. But even if they do, Dallas would have to slice their depth up in order to actually have cap space AD and Kyrie are likely combining for 100 mil in a 170 million dollar cap. Throw in whoever you keep of Lively, Christie, Naji, 2025 first, 2026 first.. let PJ, Gafford, Martin go..

I just don’t see cap space for KD or anyone actually impactful.

[ejftw]

I mean, if Dallas wants to dump Klay for expirings, I'd hope FranknCo would offer Bogdan, who, would, at least, play for them versus Shake and Gabe.