(07-15-2025, 12:16 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: The problem is that as the night wore on, the rumors morphed into it being a 4-team deal with LeBron coming to Dallas, which probably means that it's either complete fiction or we're going to end up not liking it very much.

(07-15-2025, 12:14 PM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: Even with a frontcourt of Lively, AD, and Flagg?

Don't get me wrong - I'll believe all this when I see it, and I'm with you, I'd rather it be something much smaller. The priority is to get off of Hardy, OMax, and Powell.

(07-15-2025, 12:13 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: We're officially way out on a branch that probably isn't even connected to a real tree at this point, but I disagree with the idea of imagining possible ways Kyrie/Cleveland Star guard A or B as a tandem could go wrong and using it as an excuse to pull away from this opportunity. 

1) Kyrie is hurt for a while. 

2) I'm not convinced beyond all doubt that they couldn't play together when Kyrie is healthy. It's definitely likely that there would be issues to overcome in that scenario, but for the payoff of an offense that actually works, putting Kyrie right back off-ball where he has been since coming here, I think it deserves a try, if possible. 

3) If it doesn't work, you simply trade Kyrie. Cooper Flagg is 18. Garland is 25. Mitchell is 28. Kyrie is like 33, I think. Pretty easy to see the level of opportunity this hypothetical represents, imo. 

And...if this is even true, when is the next opportunity you'd have to add an all star guard, in their early prime (Mitchell) or not quite in their prime yet (Garland) to this team? All the Gafford/PJW consolidation for impact guard ideas some of us tried to dream up this summer, and this is one I wouldn't have dared imagine, even. The players  in question are too good to be true (which probably means it isn't). But, if this is real I think it would be silly not to pounce. This is the kind of opportunity you jump on now and figure out how to make work later.

(07-15-2025, 12:52 PM)mvossman Wrote: Mostly I am working under the assumption that the trade would be fair value at best (and with Nico likely worse).  If they were looking to dump Garland, there would be plenty of suiters with a better package that Mavs can offer.  In a bidding war, I'm not sure Gafford + PJ + two unprotected firsts does it.  In the short term I think you could do just as well with a cheaper better fitting piece, and in the long term I have no idea if Garland is the right play.

But sure, if we can land a total steal then you do it regardless of fit.

(07-15-2025, 12:55 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: Yeah, I think that probably cuts to the heart of it. 

I must like Garland better than you, but I agree that it's tough to envision the circumstances that would lead to this happening. 

Still...I'm hoping. I would love to add Garland OR Mitchell, honestly, and even LeBron would be exciting, as long as it didn't involve over-the-top outgoing assets. Ultimately, a smaller deal for Lonzo Ball would be ok, too, from my POV. And hey, if it's nothing, I still like the Mavs' summer, so far.

(07-15-2025, 01:44 PM)mvossman Wrote: I think it might less me not liking Garland and more thinking that folks are underselling what his cost would be.

(07-15-2025, 01:47 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: I just mean that it seems kind of like you are unsure if you would like the fit of garland here long-term, whereas I don’t really see a way it could go wrong. I think point guard is the most important position by a mile, and as long as he and Cooper Flagg don’t hate each other, I believe you’d have the beginning of the dream, basically. 

I totally agree that they might not have enough to get it done.

(07-15-2025, 02:24 PM)DallasMaverick Wrote: Is Darius Garland worth his $40m/yr contract?

Roughly equivalent to Kyrie’s pay, but at different places in their careers.

Is his contract a net positive? Negative? Neutral?

If you’re going to pay a player almost a quarter of your cap, seems like he needs to be more than just a solid player. He needs to be a real, game-changing star.

So in a trade, you’d need to send $40m of your (hopefully) underperforming payroll, not $40m of your overperforming or even neutral payroll.

(07-15-2025, 12:16 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: The problem is that as the night wore on, the rumors morphed into it being a 4-team deal with LeBron coming to Dallas, which probably means that it's either complete fiction or we're going to end up not liking it very much.

(07-15-2025, 02:44 PM)mvossman Wrote: I would trade him for Kyrie in a heartbeat.

(07-15-2025, 04:31 PM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: Do you mean, as the syntax indicates, that you would choose Kyrie over Garland, apples to apples?

(07-16-2025, 12:51 AM)audiosway Wrote: I'm not so sure LeBron gets traded. I think he is playing chicken with LA just to see what they will do. He isn't happy that he wasn't told about the sale and Luka was. He also isn't happy that Luka was in the meetings about moves and he wasn't. That said, I would love to see him get moved. I would truly like to get PJ out to LA. I know you guys probably don't like the sound of that. But, I'm still a huge PJ fan. Naji and Gaff are the other ones I would love in LA. I'm curious to see how Ayton plays out with Luka. 

I am honestly glad you guys got Flagg. It's a little shady but whatever. You guys deserve it for sticking around.

(07-16-2025, 10:46 AM)Smitty Wrote: @patbev21
if he Pull this off everyone has to apologize to Nico Harrison
@PatBevPod


Hmm...