MAVS NEWS: Luka Is Hurt, But is Trudging On | DLive's Mom Passes Away| Maxi OUT

[DanSchwartzgan]

Keeping Reggie always seemed like a 50-50 proposition. His poor play on both ends of the floor last season doesn’t justify even $5.5 million in spending, but this decision is really more about Cuban and Nico’s commitment to invest in the roster.  Bullock’s value is really as a decent sized expiring contract now to bring back some productive long term salary. Hopefully, the Mavs can turn it into something good at mid season. If the Mavs had anything cooking with Reggie’s contract this off-season, it seems a team looking to cut spending would have made a deal in time to save an additional $5 million.

If you think through the moves they have made, there is a bit of 3-dimensional chess going on here.  They've not yet let themselves get boxed into any particular outcome...yet  Clearly, they'd like to add a starting level center, but the 'bad' contract they took from Sac was for a center.  So, they aren't absolutely forced to make a bad deal.  The deal they tried to make also preserved flexibility.    

Similarly, it doesn't seem likely both Reggie and THJ will be back.  No idea which one stays.  But, if they did the S/W on Reggie and traded Hardaway, they'd be desperate to fill a certain spot on the roster (back-up on ball defender behind Green).  I agree on it being a 50-50 deal.  Moving on might have opened a spending door or two.  But keeping him doesn't seem like a blunder.  You are right about his value as an expiring deal.  He's also valuable to us next season.  If we snug up just under the first apron we need something to give us flexibility in 2024 when Green's new money kicks in.  Yeah, the cap will go up, but so will most everyone's salary.  If a team plans to operate right at the limit (which is smart for a contender), they have to be looking a year or two out to make sure they can stay under.