I still don't know what to do this summer: Dallas Mavericks

[timani]

I'm very excited to see this Mavs team for the regular season finish and playoffs. Barring the Clippers, I could see the Mavs beating any of the other teams in a series with their historically good offense and good enough defense. Unfortunately the oppoosite could be true as well.

PG---Luka---Wright---Barea---Burke
SG---THJ---Curry
SF---Finney-Smith---Jackson
PF---Kleber
C----Porzingis---Boban

They are missing Jalen Brunson, Courtney Lee, Dwight Powell and Willie Cauley-Stein for the restart with Delon Wright, Seth Curry, JJ Barea, Justin Jackson, and Boban Marjanovich making up those minutes along with the obvious uptick in minutes by the starters. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is supposed to be showing up in Orlando at some point but that hasn't happened yet. I doubt he's a factor at all with what I saw before the shut down. No offense if his family is reading this. They did sign Trey Burke for the restart who could provide some spot minutes. Wright and Curry should have the biggest impacts and I like Wright to play well, if not better than well. I think he has a nice run here late, and the Mavs are going to need it. I really just wanted to check inventory before the restart because it will help base my understanding of what the Mavs need to do over the next two years before hopefully offering Luka a max contract that he accepts.

Free Agents in 2020:
Lee
Barea
Kidd-Gilchrist

Players With Opt-outs in 2020:
Hardaway Jr
Cauley-Stein

I fully expect Barea to be back and Kidd-Gilchrist to be gone. Lee could be a guy they bring back on a one year minimum deal for vet leadership if he can't get a job elsewhere. The Mavs like him a a lot. I also fully expect THJ and WCS to exercise their options and be back, with all of the uncertainty in the market. WCS could admittedly opt out since he's got the sickle-cell trait and the new baby, but I'd bet he's back to make a nice NBA salary for the year. We'll see. The Mavs also have Cleveland and Reaves as down the bench/GLeague guys that could be back...or not. Reaves is the guy I like as a defensive, big Guard. He'll need to show something more than he did this past year though.

Now the forecasting, lol. I'm pretty much on-board with staying the course to a certain degree as a team on the rise signing value players whenever they can. I don't want to gum up the works with guys that have bloated salaries and need shots. I also understand the Mavs need defense, but I don't want that to come at the expense of the historically good offense they have. It's a tightrope walk and I understand you can't have everything, but until the Mavs can find two-way players that don't drain the efficiency of the offense (looking at you Kidd-Gilchrist), I think they have a ceiling short of the Finals.

Luka and KP are the core of this team moving forward. I see an extended core, at least for the next 2-3 years, including Curry and Kleber with an honorary mention to Finney-Smith. These guys are all signed up past next season with Curry and Kleber having another year after that. These guys are all tradeable, but realistically not for anything out of a clear upgrade. I know we all flinch when people hold back role-players out of trades because they are 'untouchable', and that's not what I'm saying here, but I am saying for a win-now *and* win-later team, the Mavs could do a lot worse than have good players and good guys on good contracts surrounding Luke and KP while they learn how to win. I like Wright and Powell and Brunson, but they are not in the same tier as those above, to me, which is why I could see including Wright or Brunson (Powell coming off of injury) along with a pick or picks for a better player. What I would do though is keep these guys and add two talented players at 18 and 31 in the draft like Kira Lewis and Desmond Bane (examples only) to improve both the roster *and* the trade war-chest moving into what is sure to be a crazy offseason.

Taking everything I said above into account and using the 'gathering assets' approach to this offseason, I would look long and hard at convincing Christian Wood to come to Dallas and accept a MLE contract if he doesn't break the bank in Detroit. This gives Powell (Achilles Tendon injury) time to get healthy and gives the Mavs another shooter and rebounder. I think 'big man' is a sneaky need on the Mavs for the following reasons. Powell injury is achilles. KP and Maxi have had some injuries so limiting minutes would seem to help. Boban can't really play many minutes and WCS might not even be on the team next year.

Wood is okay on defense, but does well some of the things the Mavs like with his shooting, pump 3's and drive, and he's seemed to have grown up this year. The idea here is that you have Wood continue his hot play from last season, recent 1st Rounder Kira Lewis and Curry, DFS, THJ, Brunson, etc...(just add up enough pieces/money), and you're now in the game for a difference maker that fits the line up, via trade. Wishful thinking, yes, but no more wishful than the Mavs signing Giannis in FA 2021, or someone else at the top of the FA heap. In other words, the Mavs need assets and flexibility moving forward. I would build quality depth and continue to acquire value players that Rick Carlisle can use, all while waiting for the right time to strike on an impact trade.

C----KP---Powell---Boban---WCS
PF---Wood*---Kleber
SF---DFS---Jackson
SG---THJ---Curry---Wright---Bane*
PG---Luka---Brunson---Lewis*---Barea

TL;DR---Mavs should stay the course with value contracts and assets as Luka and KP develop. NO shortcuts.

[Michaellam1987]

I'm very excited to see this Mavs team for the regular season finish and playoffs. Barring the Clippers, I could see the Mavs beating any of the other teams in a series with their historically good offense and good enough defense. Unfortunately the oppoosite could be true as well.

PG---Luka---Wright---Barea---Burke
SG---THJ---Curry
SF---Finney-Smith---Jackson
PF---Kleber
C----Porzingis---Boban

They are missing Jalen Brunson, Courtney Lee, Dwight Powell and Willie Cauley-Stein for the restart with Delon Wright, Seth Curry, JJ Barea, Justin Jackson, and Boban Marjanovich making up those minutes along with the obvious uptick in minutes by the starters. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is supposed to be showing up in Orlando at some point but that hasn't happened yet. I doubt he's a factor at all with what I saw before the shut down. No offense if his family is reading this. They did sign Trey Burke for the restart who could provide some spot minutes. Wright and Curry should have the biggest impacts and I like Wright to play well, if not better than well. I think he has a nice run here late, and the Mavs are going to need it. I really just wanted to check inventory before the restart because it will help base my understanding of what the Mavs need to do over the next two years before hopefully offering Luka a max contract that he accepts.

Free Agents in 2020:
Lee
Barea
Kidd-Gilchrist

Players With Opt-outs in 2020:
Hardaway Jr
Cauley-Stein

I fully expect Barea to be back and Kidd-Gilchrist to be gone. Lee could be a guy they bring back on a one year minimum deal for vet leadership if he can't get a job elsewhere. The Mavs like him a a lot. I also fully expect THJ and WCS to exercise their options and be back, with all of the uncertainty in the market. WCS could admittedly opt out since he's got the sickle-cell trait and the new baby, but I'd bet he's back to make a nice NBA salary for the year. We'll see. The Mavs also have Cleveland and Reaves as down the bench/GLeague guys that could be back...or not. Reaves is the guy I like as a defensive, big Guard. He'll need to show something more than he did this past year though.

Now the forecasting, lol. I'm pretty much on-board with staying the course to a certain degree as a team on the rise signing value players whenever they can. I don't want to gum up the works with guys that have bloated salaries and need shots. I also understand the Mavs need defense, but I don't want that to come at the expense of the historically good offense they have. It's a tightrope walk and I understand you can't have everything, but until the Mavs can find two-way players that don't drain the efficiency of the offense (looking at you Kidd-Gilchrist), I think they have a ceiling short of the Finals.

Luka and KP are the core of this team moving forward. I see an extended core, at least for the next 2-3 years, including Curry and Kleber with an honorary mention to Finney-Smith. These guys are all signed up past next season with Curry and Kleber having another year after that. These guys are all tradeable, but realistically not for anything out of a clear upgrade. I know we all flinch when people hold back role-players out of trades because they are 'untouchable', and that's not what I'm saying here, but I am saying for a win-now *and* win-later team, the Mavs could do a lot worse than have good players and good guys on good contracts surrounding Luke and KP while they learn how to win. I like Wright and Powell and Brunson, but they are not in the same tier as those above, to me, which is why I could see including Wright or Brunson (Powell coming off of injury) along with a pick or picks for a better player. What I would do though is keep these guys and add two talented players at 18 and 31 in the draft like Kira Lewis and Desmond Bane (examples only) to improve both the roster *and* the trade war-chest moving into what is sure to be a crazy offseason.

Taking everything I said above into account and using the 'gathering assets' approach to this offseason, I would look long and hard at convincing Christian Wood to come to Dallas and accept a MLE contract if he doesn't break the bank in Detroit. This gives Powell (Achilles Tendon injury) time to get healthy and gives the Mavs another shooter and rebounder. I think 'big man' is a sneaky need on the Mavs for the following reasons. Powell injury is achilles. KP and Maxi have had some injuries so limiting minutes would seem to help. Boban can't really play many minutes and WCS might not even be on the team next year.

Wood is okay on defense, but does well some of the things the Mavs like with his shooting, pump 3's and drive, and he's seemed to have grown up this year. The idea here is that you have Wood continue his hot play from last season, recent 1st Rounder Kira Lewis and Curry, DFS, THJ, Brunson, etc...(just add up enough pieces/money), and you're now in the game for a difference maker that fits the line up, via trade. Wishful thinking, yes, but no more wishful than the Mavs signing Giannis in FA 2021, or someone else at the top of the FA heap. In other words, the Mavs need assets and flexibility moving forward. I would build quality depth and continue to acquire value players that Rick Carlisle can use, all while waiting for the right time to strike on an impact trade.

C----KP---Powell---Boban---WCS
PF---Wood*---Kleber
SF---DFS---Jackson
SG---THJ---Curry---Wright---Bane*
PG---Luka---Brunson---Lewis*---Barea

TL;DR---Mavs should stay the course with value contracts and assets as Luka and KP develop. NO shortcuts.

WCS just signed with a Dallas based agency which IMO he plans to stay in DAL. So, we now KP/Maxi/Powell/WCS/Boban, that should be enough for 4/5 position. The focus point should be great wing defender and ball handler, and better to be young enough to grow with KP and Luka, e.g. Chris Dunn, Derrick Jone Jr.

[Texas Chuck]

I'd like to trade Jackson and one of the picks for a big---Bjelica continues to be my primary target. Then I'm using the MLE on a guy to defend big wings. Jae Crowder isn't ideal, but probably the best option they can hope to get.

Add Bjelica and Crowder and lose nothing of note and it should allow for further incremental improvement. Then 2021 is where all the big decisions have to be made before Luka's max kicks in.