TRADE: JJ Redick + Nicolo Melli to DAL | JJ + Iwundu + 2021 2nd + cash to NOP

[HanspardShowerVoice]

Luka pretty stoked  about Melli's first  basket as a Mav. 

[KillerLeft]

In the end, ultimately, if pre-injury Dwight Powell making $10 million  is the worst contract we have to obsess over, the Mavs front office is in the higher percentiles of the NBA at projecting player future values.

Right, and as I've proven as factual to your satisfaction at least 1,000 times, that contract was AWESOME (pre-injury).

[StepBackJay]

Right, and as I've proven as factual to your satisfaction at least 1,000 times, that contract was AWESOME (pre-injury).

eh

[F Gump]

It's the unnecessary part that gets me. Why/how did Burke/WCS earn more than the MLE? If we have to overpay guys like that that are obvious MLE players, ....

Wait, what?

WCS and Burke are both on very modest contracts, and far BELOW the MLE. Their contracts are exactly the sort you want to have for your backups - minor money and easy to move on from if the Mavs ever feel the need.

It's Powell that has been wildly overpaid where it's been impossible for him to ever outplay his contract. Twice, in fact. Now that his game has slipped and his play is worth even less, and they want to move on to find someone more productive, they're unable to find a taker - they're being choked by the lack of contractual discipline with no one else being interested in the awful contract.

[ItsGoTime]

Wait, what?

WCS and Burke are both on very modest contracts, and far BELOW the MLE. Their contracts are exactly the sort you want to have for your backups - minor money and easy to move on from if the Mavs ever feel the need.

It's Powell that has been wildly overpaid where it's been impossible for him to ever outplay his contract. Twice, in fact. Now that his game has slipped and his play is worth even less, and they want to move on to find someone more productive, they're unable to find a taker - they're being choked by the lack of contractual discipline with no one else being interested in the awful contract.

Ya, I said MLE, meant vet min.

[dirkfansince1998]

Wait, what?

WCS and Burke are both on very modest contracts, and far BELOW the MLE. Their contracts are exactly the sort you want to have for your backups - minor money and easy to move on from if the Mavs ever feel the need.

It's Powell that has been wildly overpaid where it's been impossible for him to ever outplay his contract. Twice, in fact. Now that his game has slipped and his play is worth even less, and they want to move on to find someone more productive, they're unable to find a taker - they're being choked by the lack of contractual discipline with no one else being interested in the awful contract.

Problem with WCS and Burke is that the Mavs split the MLE instead of going after one player that could actually make a difference as a legit rotation piece. One Crowder/Favors/Saric has more value than multiple mediocre end of bench guys. Mavs obviously tried to go after some of the top end MLE guys but they couldn´t land one of the ring chasers and refused to give up 2021 capspace. Crowder for example picked the Suns because they offered more guaranteed money (more years).

[StepBackJay]

I think now that we are down to two years of Powell he is movable but the best you can get might be an expiring contract.

[BolsDamols]

Luka already showing more chemistry with Melli than he ever did with KP 

[F Gump]

Problem with WCS and Burke is that the Mavs split the MLE instead of going after one player that could actually make a difference as a legit rotation piece. One Crowder/Favors/Saric has more value than multiple mediocre end of bench guys. Mavs obviously tried to go after some of the top end MLE guys but they couldn´t land one of the ring chasers and refused to give up 2021 capspace. Crowder for example picked the Suns because they offered more guaranteed money (more years).

In theory I like the idea of spending the MLE all on one guy who is in your top 7.

About those specifics, that's just grass is greener stuff, with no real meaning.

 * On Favors, he would have been great at the MLE, but let's not lust for the impossible - - he wouldn't have been enticed to go elsewhere than Utah for MLE money.

 * On Saric, he was a meh value for the MLE. Saric is no center or 3-and-D wing or offense creator (all of which the Mavs needed) and it's doubtful he's been worth the money.

 * On Crowder, he wanted the team opportunity in PHX over DAL. Simple as that. Same money doesn't get you the player. And that's all the Mavs had to offer.

In practice, sometimes you have to prioritize away from the ideal. They needed a center, and they needed a scorer to offer instant offense. They wanted flexibility for a shot at Giannis, too, if he didn't extend in MIL. With WCS and TB they got both, and the contracts for both WCS and TB are easily movable, while offering plenty of room for the players to out-play them and become a significant bargain. That's exactly what you'd want.

Like I said, I like the theory. But if those are the best "shoulda" alternatives you have, the Mavs get an A this time around.

[F Gump]

I think now that we are down to two years of Powell he is movable but the best you can get might be an expiring contract.

We can hope this is true. But there's plenty of reason to think Powell still won't be movable -- given his sizable contract, some team would have to have a reason to WANT him, and it's hard to envision a scout watching him play and thinking "Hey, our team really needs THAT."

[Mapka]

Ya, I said MLE, meant vet min.

Yeah, seemed obvious to me. But only Burke's contract is relevant for next year
because WCS has a team option in his second year and was the last player getting signed. He got the leftover money for waiting and trade purpose.

[ClutchDirk]

We can hope this is true. But there's plenty of reason to think Powell still won't be movable -- given his sizable contract, some team would have to have a reason to WANT him, and it's hard to envision a scout watching him play and thinking "Hey, our team really needs THAT."

Lakers need a starting PF...I bet we could get a 1st in return...

[F Gump]

Yeah, seemed obvious to me. But only Burke's contract is relevant for next year
because WCS has a team option in his second year and was the last player getting signed. He got the leftover money for waiting and trade purpose.

A salary doesn't have to be minimum salary to be a small salary. Burke's is only about $800K above minimum, which is relative peanuts when it comes to salary comparisons. If a fan wants to quibble over that, the cause for the quibbling isn't really the salary amount.

[Mapka]

A salary doesn't have to be minimum salary to be a small salary. Burke's is only about $800K above minimum, which is relative peanuts when it comes to salary comparisons. If a fan wants to quibble over that, the cause for the quibbling isn't really the salary amount.

In the end this is totally meaningless, if we use cap or are in the tax this year something has gone extremly wrong or unbelievable well.
It's keeping our own FAs using the MLE and trades.

[ItsGoTime]

A salary doesn't have to be minimum salary to be a small salary. Burke's is only about $800K above minimum, which is relative peanuts when it comes to salary comparisons. If a fan wants to quibble over that, the cause for the quibbling isn't really the salary amount.

And yet, the FO traded up in the draft to do just that.

[F Gump]

And yet, the FO traded up in the draft to do just that.

That was incredibly stupid roster building thinking, to think such a small amount is truly an issue that prohibits getting a key player. And it's still stupid to think that way, of course.

[ItsGoTime]

And it's still stupid to think that way, of course.

But you can see it's how they still think. They make moves all over the place to clear cap space to sign their 3rd and 4th target in FA.

[KillerLeft]

They make moves all over the place to clear cap space to sign their 3rd and 4th target in FA

Might be slightly based on semantics here, but while I agree with what you and @"F Gump" are saying about quibbling over small amounts of "cap space" I think some of these recent moves can also be interpreted as an effort to simply keep "bad money" off of the payroll as a general practice. When viewed through that lens, I'm in favor, and view it as an improvement over the 1999-2011 approach. 

However, if they ARE making these choices the same way they decided to trade down during the Giannis draft, I wholeheartedly agree with your complaint. I'm not sure it's totally clear yet, but I hope that's not the case.

[StepBackJay]

We can hope this is true. But there's plenty of reason to think Powell still won't be movable -- given his sizable contract, some team would have to have a reason to WANT him, and it's hard to envision a scout watching him play and thinking "Hey, our team really needs THAT."

So for what it's worth Kirk from Mavs Moneyball said the reporters he talked to said there was interest in Powell at the TDL which I believe. Now the interest might of been, hey will give you back some garbage for Powell but it was still encouraging that some team or teams had interest in Powell playing basketball for them.

I think teams see Powell as a buy-low opportunity understanding he is still coming back from injury. Powell's trick pre-injury was being an incredibly efficient rim roller and it's possible he gets close to that 60% FG% number next year with a good PG.

Again that doesn't guarantee a team will be like sure we will take Powell into our cap space. Maybe they are like here is an expiring contract of the same price for a player that's not in our rotation. That would still be a win I think if the Mavs are ready to just move off of Powell. In that scenario an expiring contract actually works as a small asset as we know those can be useful filler at the TDL.

[F Gump]

So for what it's worth Kirk from Mavs Moneyball said the reporters he talked to said there was interest in Powell at the TDL which I believe.

I am skeptical of the truth of that, because it doesn't match the eye test at all. But I'd like to believe it.

Feel free to surprise me in the summer.