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Let’s say Mavs ownership realizes what everybody else does, that the Luka trade was a disaster that robbed the team of their future and the only way forward to regain fan trust is to fire Nico and everybody else involved in the trade. New GM comes in and (smartly) recognizes that the team as currently constructed can’t sniff contention and decides to sell off the most valuable pieces and rebuild from scratch.

Who would be interested in AD and Klay, and what value would they command? Couple of ideas:

Dallas trades AD and Caleb Martin to the Pacers for Siakam, Mathurin and a future protected first: Pacers upgrade Siakam to get a guy that is a great fit with Haliburton and would be an extremely imposing defense with Turner, Mavs get a solid player back and an interesting young player in Mathurin

Dallas trades Klay to Detroit for Isaiah Stewart: Pistons worked really well with Malik Beasleys shooting and replace that with a vet to build on a successful season; Dallas gets a young player locked up on a reasonable deal in return

Think almost every Dallas fan would be happy with a pure expiring for Klay. Probably package him with one of Martin or Gafford. See no way Det gives up Stewart for him, despite his antics.

The Pascal/AD idea.. Would need to know what the third team is paying for Pascal.

Dallas would have to be tanking in 2026 in order to downgrade AD imo.

And off topic, but I do think Dallas can be a contender next season if they do go all in. Lively, 11th, 2029 LAL pick should return a really good player to go with what Dallas already has.

But would be behind a one year tank if you can get a strong centerpiece in an AD trade and then give Kyrie a 4 year front loaded deal, start at his max if you need to (4yr190 feels enough?)…

Personally don’t want to lose PJ but if he turns down 3yr63 with a player option, I probably trade him as well if it is a one year tank.. (and I think he would turn that down)

Ideally, PJ locked up for 2 years of the pick debt, Kyrie 3 years of it.. You have a top 4 pick in 2026 to go with AD trade return, Lively and 2025 11th.. If you get lucky/draft well maybe you build a good team out of that?

I'd look more for a rebuilding package. Would the Spurs do anything around Castle/Sochan and their FRP? What would Houston offer?

jayjaysee wrote:Dallas would have to be tanking in 2026 in order to downgrade AD imo.

Good point…checked their pick situation again and it’s protected top 2 in 2027 and then unprotected swaps 2028-2030 so if they’re going to tank now’s the time to do it.

Just unreal that you can trade a player like Luka and still be in major pick debt

Cant see anyway the Mavs do this so quickly after the Luka deal. Its obvious they value AD very much, more than anyone would offer.

Saints14 wrote:

jayjaysee wrote:Dallas would have to be tanking in 2026 in order to downgrade AD imo.

Good point…checked their pick situation again and it’s protected top 2 in 2027 and then unprotected swaps 2028-2030 so if they’re going to tank now’s the time to do it.

Just unreal that you can trade a player like Luka and still be in major pick debt

Yeah. I mean the pick debt goes through 2030. AD and Kyrie are 32. So you could convince yourself you just keep them and add another 28-32 year old and have a couple years as a pretender/contender and then a couple years of overpaid vets losing in the play-in/first round..

Once you accept the Luka trade is done, you start looking at what’s left and I think the best move is to try and win with AD. But you need to actually add talent to the current group this offseason. Most see the low hanging fruit as KD. I just think given the pick debt, the team should pay more and go someone closer to AD/Kyrie age say.. Sabonis or Lauri or…

But I’m all for a one year tank if that’s what the team does and think the majority of fans would be good with it, if it involved moving on from Nike..

As a Detroit fan, I’d never trade Stew for Klay.

Their trajectories are headed in opposite directions.

Stew just had arguably his best season.

Yeah, Klay is the Mav,s problem. Sure not giving an asset for him.

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LarsV8 wrote:Cant see anyway the Mavs do this so quickly after the Luka deal. Its obvious they value AD very much, more than anyone would offer.

Yeah, that's something Nico's successor would have to do and it's not going happen after a half a season with Kyrie injured.

Klay to GSW in a 3 teamer where Kuminga goes elsewhere.

jayjaysee wrote:

Saints14 wrote:

jayjaysee wrote:Dallas would have to be tanking in 2026 in order to downgrade AD imo.

Good point…checked their pick situation again and it’s protected top 2 in 2027 and then unprotected swaps 2028-2030 so if they’re going to tank now’s the time to do it.

Just unreal that you can trade a player like Luka and still be in major pick debt

Yeah. I mean the pick debt goes through 2030. AD and Kyrie are 32. So you could convince yourself you just keep them and add another 28-32 year old and have a couple years as a pretender/contender and then a couple years of overpaid vets losing in the play-in/first round..

Once you accept the Luka trade is done, you start looking at what’s left and I think the best move is to try and win with AD. But you need to actually add talent to the current group this offseason. Most see the low hanging fruit as KD. I just think given the pick debt, the team should pay more and go someone closer to AD/Kyrie age say.. Sabonis or Lauri or…

But I’m all for a one year tank if that’s what the team does and think the majority of fans would be good with it, if it involved moving on from Nike..

I think the Kyrie injury changes a lot because if you know that next year is a lost year then you’re building for what, 2027 and 2028 when AD and Kyrie are on their last legs (and still injury prone)? As self-inflicted as the Luka trade was that was some legitimately bad luck, because you’re right a AD/Kyrie duo is at least a somewhat interesting playoff team and you could theoretically add more to it to make them a pseudo-contender.

I think with the injury the best course of action at this point is to sell off, but if Nico is still around it’s hard to see him do anything but double down and try to prove his vision right

Saints14 wrote:

jayjaysee wrote:

Saints14 wrote:
Good point…checked their pick situation again and it’s protected top 2 in 2027 and then unprotected swaps 2028-2030 so if they’re going to tank now’s the time to do it.

Just unreal that you can trade a player like Luka and still be in major pick debt

Yeah. I mean the pick debt goes through 2030. AD and Kyrie are 32. So you could convince yourself you just keep them and add another 28-32 year old and have a couple years as a pretender/contender and then a couple years of overpaid vets losing in the play-in/first round..

Once you accept the Luka trade is done, you start looking at what’s left and I think the best move is to try and win with AD. But you need to actually add talent to the current group this offseason. Most see the low hanging fruit as KD. I just think given the pick debt, the team should pay more and go someone closer to AD/Kyrie age say.. Sabonis or Lauri or…

But I’m all for a one year tank if that’s what the team does and think the majority of fans would be good with it, if it involved moving on from Nike..

I think the Kyrie injury changes a lot because if you know that next year is a lost year then you’re building for what, 2027 and 2028 when AD and Kyrie are on their last legs (and still injury prone)? As self-inflicted as the Luka trade was that was some legitimately bad luck, because you’re right a AD/Kyrie duo is at least a somewhat interesting playoff team and you could theoretically add more to it to make them a pseudo-contender.

I think with the injury the best course of action at this point is to sell off, but if Nico is still around it’s hard to see him do anything but double down and try to prove his vision right

Kyrie should be healthy by the 2026 playoffs? No medical training here, just seems like he should be.. so next season isn’t lost if you can keep the team up without him..

Yeah. The only bad option to me is running the current roster back (including a minor move to find a stopgap PG)

If you go into next season doing babyjax Lauri idea and then trade PJ for say Grayson? Or pick your own guard.. How good is Lively, AD, Lauri, Naji, Christie, Grayson, Kyrie?

Feels tough to create a better roster than that by tanking for one season. After 2029 you can trade Lively and Lauri and enter an honest depressing rebuild.