NBA TRADE TALK: TDL over

[DanSchwartzgan]

Oh? Brunson is now a lock to NY, one way or another, period? Just at their beck and call, easy peasy?

I figure you probably didn't mean it quite that strongly.

But I do think there's a sense of that "NY inevitability" being used as a given in some of the conversations here ...and I have a hard time buying it. Possible? Sure. But I think the Mavs would be the best bet, if they have decided they will pay what it takes with no worries about tax. In Dallas, JB already knows the team, the fit, his role, and more.

In fact, I think that Mavs option is what's driving NY to be so obsessed for a trade (rather than a fa chase that only costs money.) If the Mavs will trade him to NY, it takes their biggest competition out of the equation, before it even begins.

????  I'm not sure I get the first sentence.  The full thought that you partially quoted reads...

"The trick is NY just sold their fan base on him as a high lottery pick and now they are dealing him for a guy they can sign this summer with a little bit of player movement?  So, at its most simple level (JB for Toppin) it is a tough sell in NY."  

It is intended to answer Davemo's question by illustrating one of the difficulties of any deal involving Toppin...selling the NY fan base.  So, not easy peasy at all.

I get your point about "NY inevitability".  Kind of like national writers constantly proposing trades involving Lakers trash for valuable players from the other team.  I happen to think there is more smoke here than just that.  How long have we been talking about this.  It started when Rose took the job about 23 months ago and intensified when you correctly told us there wasn't a team option on Brunson a few months later.  With the caveat that the probability of any particular trade is really low, this is a train we've seen coming for a really long time.  I don't doubt Rose's interest in Brunson.  The question to me is timing and price.

What I tried to show yesterday is NY has options.  They can get enough for 4/$80mm by simply moving Rose, their pick and dropping the NG on Gibson.  Easy Peasy?  That certainly isn't difficult.  But, as you point out, Dallas is a strong competitor in that scenario.  So, what more should NY add to a Rose/Pick based deal to take Dallas out of the running?  Meanwhile, Dallas has risk here.  The question for them is what offer, that also eliminates our risk, is too good to pass up.  I find it hard to justify a Brunson deal on a stand alone basis.  But when I start to look at what else might happen given access to picks, I start to get intrigued.  

Last point...you mention Brunson knows the team, fit and role.  Yes, but we don't know that Brunson likes the team, fit and role.  We don't anything about what Brunson really wants (or his agent for that matter).  For all we know Brunson grew up dreaming of playing in the Garden his entire life.  For all we know Brunson may think Rose is the greatest man he's ever met and Cuban is a complete buffoon.  I think there is way too much unknown for us to ascribe motives from a distance.  If I were his agent, I'd want Brunson in the place where he has the greatest leverage.  I think that would be NY after NY gave up assets to get him.  Leverage in Dallas is largely dependent on whether Brunson likes Detroit or whether NY clears the cap space.