05-16-2024, 03:24 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-16-2024, 03:25 PM by Scott41theMavs.)
Here's a question to consider moving forward - how important is the Landlord? I think Lively is clearly the superior player right now, has growth headroom that absolutely dwarfs Gafford, and has the additional advantage of being on a rookie contract. There was certainly a considerable value to taking the pressure off Lively minutes and foul-wise this year. I think that diminishes as time goes on. I think it would be wonderful still to have Gafford here next year, but far less crucial than this year. I would imagine that Gafford next year is a 20 mpg player in the regular season, and about 15 mpg in the playoffs. Is that enough for him to deserve his salary next year? I'm sure they'd love to have that role filled at a lower salary next year and far moreso the year after. How much lower can the Mavs afford to go talent-wise for the sake of that savings? Or is there someone who would be just as effective in the role at a fraction of the price?