11-01-2023, 04:22 PM
(11-01-2023, 03:47 PM)Mavs2021 Wrote: Last two off-seasons three players (FVV, Brooks, Brunson) changed teams during the off-season on deals that exceeded 15M/year. Players are forcing trades all the time, cause there is almost no way to change teams on big money in free agency, unless you want to go to a rebuilding team like Houston. Once Houston decided they didn´t want him, he had no way to get paid. This was an Irving-friendly deal, if anything.
Ask yourself this:
Could Irving have gotten more elsewhere outright? Absolutely not.
Could the Mavs have offered less (90/3 with a team option) and still have by far the best offer available? Absolutely.
They just couldn´t risk pissing Luka and Kyrie off after the Brunson debacle.
Then Irving might still force a trade to the Lakers in three months, but I honestly do not care.
I´m happy with Lively, Williams, Green and Hardy. If we can turn Irving into Hachimura, Russell, Christie and a pick, then use our assets to make a move for a Lavine, Siakam, Grant we are a better team in the long-run.
I get you. I just don’t agree with the what-teams-can-do analysis. If a quality player is available at below-market money, teams find ways to bid. You might remember NY was one of the teams that couldn’t afford Brunson at a near-30mm price. Until they could.
Kyrie’s ongoing commentary likely got him blackballed in many parts of the country. No doubt there were teams that absolutely weren’t gonna be bidders. But no way was Dallas his only option.
Pessimism doesn’t make you smart, just pessimistic.