EXTENSION: Gobert signs 5yr/$205M w/ UTA | DAL "significant interest" if available

[KillerLeft]

The idea of cap space is most likely a thing of the past

Huh?

Have you been paying attention to the Mavericks and the NBA?

I probably should have been clearer - I was a bit rushed.
I don't think Dallas is going to go all in on cap space, no matter what the contracts look like today... I think Richardson gets re-signed and I would not be shocked IF THJ (or the player he nets in trade) is signed instead of creating cap space. This roster will NOT have space for the foreseeable future once Luka is signed.

Gotcha. Well, you might be right, but I submit that by MY definition, any scenario you mention above IS using cap space, or at least stemming from the plan that's in place to create it. It might be a semantic debate, or I might be misunderstanding you a bit. 

I agree that once Luka signs, they'll be done with space for a long, long time. So, if they can't get their guy at the trade deadline (simply trading the future space in the form of expirings - still "using" it) or in free agency, and they re-sign Richardson, I fully expect them to sign him LAST, after they've used the rest of the space on the type of "meh" guys most people around here are always screaming for. This should be the last resort, but I believe that Richardson signing should get them pretty far over the cap.

I agree that re-signing BOTH Richardson and THJ is probably on the list of possibilities, and I guess you could argue that at that point, nothing came of their insistence to stay flexible, but while I don't think that's super likely I wouldn't be too upset about it. At least they'd have the chance to negotiate signing the players on their own terms. I can think of worse outcomes, but I honestly think THJ becomes a different player, either via the deadline or by expiring into space. Possibly even by sign and trade away from Dallas next summer.