JET Plan

[Jason Terry]

This whole discussion touches on the paradox the Mav's find themselves in.

1.  In order to max cap space they have to give up two starters.  If you try to keep THJ and JRich it will probably cost in the $25-$30mm range.  That basically leaves you about the MLE in cap space (so no real advantage to other teams with the MLE). Neither player is trash.  They both (along with Maxi) rank in the 80-125 range in the recent Athletic survey.  It would cost quite a bit to replace them.

OR

2.  Try to trade in-season for one more piece.  But we don't have much in the way of trade assets.  No one is going to give you a player of any value for Johnson's expiring deal.  Our newly drafted players are like new cars.  The moment you drive them off the lot they lose value.  


I think this will be what drives conversations until the TDL.  Should we try to grab another 4th starter type (giving us about 4 of those) and then lock everyone up.  Or, do we hold out for a third "star" to come in the summer.  Often we think of getting free agents as getting something for "free".  But, in our case it will cost at least one starter...maybe two.  I'm probably more the bird in hand type, but I'd like to see how THJ and JRich look with Luka.  It is unfortunate that we won't see much of that trio with KP prior to the TDL.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Your words give a better explanation. Happy thanksgiving to you

I guess i would say that the best way forward is a Have-It-Both-Ways version of this paradox. That’s essentially what trading in-season for one more piece would be. So long as the piece is expiring, we still give ourselves the option for Max Star

The worst way forward is we go into FA with $35 million in space and try to sign multiple starters. Half the league has $20 million or more in space. Even in a bad year like this one with such little space, guys are getting overpaid.  Nothing but the Jae Crowder deal even looks decent from this year. 

Just a simple trade of our weakest link for a decent player would go a long way. The end result would be an extremely deep team or a team with 3 superstars. We can’t allow ourselves to be put in position where we come up empty. You said it best “give up starters” ....can’t afford to do that unless a superstar is coming our way

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This whole discussion touches on the paradox the Mav's find themselves in.

Great piece you wrote. 

I totally agree Mavs should look for a trade to upgrade one position, either
- upgrade SG (THJ) with the assets (2027 pick, Brunson, role players like Kleber)
- upgrade the PF (DFS/Kleber) position for any combination of Johnson/DFS/Kleber/pick/Brunson. 

If some of unexpired money leaves Mavs in a trade, we probably have around 15 mil of cap space in 2021. Another good opportunity this teams have - if one of the many new wings (Iwudu, Green, Bey) shows he is able to play on a high level, we might be able to move the very valuable DFS contract.

I would be fine with a bigger trade to upgrade a position. Even trading guys like DFS we all like. To pay a high price for a major upgrade in trade would need to be a finishing move IMO. We only have so much ammo left so i think it would need to wait till next offseason when we only have 1 owed 1st rd pick