(12-10-2025, 06:05 AM)F Gump Wrote: "If they can add a guy without giving up the pick, great. If not, I think they would rather wait. "

And if I'm the Mavs and I can't get the right value for AD, I would rather wait too. The idea that ATL can add AD and keep all their most valued assets and only give up scraps, sorry I'm not your huckleberry.

I happen to believe that ATL is at a crossroads where they are feeling internal heat to push their trajectory up to the next level. Waiting several years (by which time their core good players are going to elevate onto much bigger salaries and they are likely to have a hard-to-manage cap) is not in their best interest. The teams around the league usually hold onto their very best players so they can build around them. This is a special window of opportunity for ATL (or someone) to add one of those guys that you can almost never find available.

If ATL is not the team in a hurry, then someone will be. (And ATL has to consider that if they don't do what it takes to get AD, some other team might, and might jump right past them and leave them still struggling.) Teams who want to take a jump up the ladder, they are always out there, emerging here and there. Some team will come to me because I have a star who is already fully developed as a player. In exchange, I want a young raw star (or equivalent pick/s) who will be superb somewhere down the road. If I am the Mavs, I gotta realize what I have, set my price, and be patient until that someone comes chasing with SERIOUS value they are willing to offer.

(12-10-2025, 07:39 AM)khaled1987 Wrote: The whole "this draft is generational" can be a bit overblown. I've read the same in 2008. 2010, 2012, 2014, 2025 among others.

(12-10-2025, 07:39 AM)khaled1987 Wrote: And even if it is, there is a Sam Bowie,Darko & Thabeet in the greatest of drafts (1996 is probably the only one that the top 7 were good). NO pick is a big asset but it isn't the untouchable one folks making it.

(12-10-2025, 07:39 AM)khaled1987 Wrote: AD brings Hawks into true contender in the playoffs

(12-10-2025, 08:42 AM)Mavs2021 Wrote: 2014:

DWIGHT POWELL

Jokic
Embiid
Feel like mostly these days the busts are more related to injuries or off-court issues than bad basketball skill assessment.

(12-10-2025, 08:45 AM)Mavs2021 Wrote: Darko latter admitted to hating basketball. That´s a hard thing to scout, when a guy from a poor background is faking it to earn himself life-altering money. And I swear whoever thought Thabeet could play in the NBA after watching him run for 10 seconds is a complete moron.

If you are that scared of your own judgment, you should not work in basketball.

(12-10-2025, 08:53 AM)omahen Wrote: Here is where we don't agree, which impacts our evaluations. In my opinion, Atlanta would get better with AD, but far from becoming a true contender.

(12-10-2025, 10:00 AM)khaled1987 Wrote: You keep mentioning the term contender, and I am not sure what it means for you tbh. Can you define it in this context? 

Because I fail to see a true contender in the East, a team that was supposed to tank like Boston is 3rd atm, Knicks with Mike Brown, who hasn't won a playoff series in 13 years. are 2nd and a young Detroit team is the first. It is all over the place, Chicago were 9-7 and looked legit and then they lose 7 in a row and out of the play-in place. 

A trip to the Finals is more than possible with AD, the last one in their history? In 1961 when the NBA was 9 teams, playoffs were 4 teams and Hawks were in St. Louis playing in the Western Conference. Hawks had plenty of top 5 or top 10 picks in this century alone with nothing more than conference finals to show for, so winning the East and getting spanked by OKC would still be the greatest season in their history (in Atlanta) and would be worth it. I think AD gives them one of the best chances to do, and this is probably the reason they are interested.

If I were them, I would try to get Giannis first, but I won't make the pick untouchable

(12-10-2025, 06:05 AM)F Gump Wrote: "If they can add a guy without giving up the pick, great. If not, I think they would rather wait. "

And if I'm the Mavs and I can't get the right value for AD, I would rather wait too. The idea that ATL can add AD and keep all their most valued assets and only give up scraps, sorry I'm not your huckleberry.

(12-09-2025, 06:42 PM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: I was thinking something very similar earlier today.

Gafford was signed in a way that he could be easily traded.  I personally think a PnR big would be more highly valued elsewhere.

Rich Paul is already chirping about an extension this summer for AD.  Even if I wanted to keep the band together to make a run this season (which I don't), the thought of an AD extension would scare me.  Off topic, but I'm seeing evidence that past their prime stars aren't getting extended at their full max under the dual apron system like they used to.  I would predict AD's next contract (or extension) won't be anywhere near the max years and money the press so obligingly throws out there.

Finally, you have Thompson.  I don't think we are under any obligation to move him to a contender.  I don't mind it, but we should be compensated.  His off the bench shooting would be valuable in the right situation

The trick, if you send out all three guys, is you've wiped out your center rotation (with Lively likely out) and one of only two reliable three point shooters.  Not that you are going to win a ton of games without these guys, but I want the Mavs to keep playing hard.  I don't think you can make these trades just about draft picks and expiring trash.  That's why I keep coming up with guys like Mathurin, or Risacher/Okongwu (or even Asa Newell as a secondary element...BTW, I think he played HS ball with Flagg) or Ivey/Holland.  

I want to back fill some of the outgoing with players that are young-ish (not necessarily babies) and competent NBA players with upside.  Someone like Okongwu is never going to be a Top-20 NBA player, but he's a plus guy who is young-ish and a decent style fit next to Flagg.  Mathurin and Ivey aren't world beaters.  But I want someone like that as my Klay replacement even if they aren't the direct return in a Klay deal.  Add in the 8th pick and some future compensation as part of these deals and get to work on a rebuild.  I'm also less desperate to bring back PG's.  We still have Kyrie and we still have some decent bench guys.  Work the deals to be a competent team next season with players with upside alongside Flagg and our 26 pick and a somewhat restocked draft board going forward.

There is no point in a complete tear down as we don't benefit from that in draft positioning past this season.  Players like Davis, Gafford and Thompson should bring back players who may be too young to contribute greatly to winning today for their current teams, but could contribute to winning here a few years into the Flagg era.

(12-10-2025, 11:21 AM)mvossman Wrote: Yeah, there has been a lot of talk about Atlanta, but Detroit was another one of the teams mentioned.  Something like AD + Klay for Harris + Ivey + Holland + Stewart.  Some young players, salary relief and Stewart makes it easier to trade Gafford for Mathurin (and the salary relief gets you the room need to sign him).  Maybe you get some assets as well that would probably have to go to Indiana.

(12-10-2025, 11:21 AM)mvossman Wrote: Yeah, there has been a lot of talk about Atlanta, but Detroit was another one of the teams mentioned.  Something like AD + Klay for Harris + Ivey + Holland + Stewart.  Some young players, salary relief and Stewart makes it easier to trade Gafford for Mathurin (and the salary relief gets you the room need to sign him).  Maybe you get some assets as well that would probably have to go to Indiana.

(12-10-2025, 11:42 AM)Mavs2021 Wrote: Why would the Pacers trade Mathurin? They´ll obviously offer us some combination of McConnell, Walker, Jackson and a future 1st for Gafford.

(12-10-2025, 12:01 PM)ACMFFL Wrote: Cause they don't want to pay him next offseason.

(12-10-2025, 12:04 PM)Mavs2021 Wrote: Says who? Also if you believe that and want Mathurin just trade AD/Klay/Gafford for expirings and 1st round picks. You can just sign Mathurin away from Indiana in free agency.

(12-10-2025, 11:50 AM)BigDirk41 Wrote: I'm in the camp of we need to trade AD to get on the Flagg timeline, but I'm with F Gump on you don't just deal him to deal him. They need to hold their ground and someone will give in and meet our demands at some point. We got here because Nico didn't take the best deal for Luka or even try to find the best deal. AD is a game changer and can absolutely decide who comes out of the East this year. That has great value. Someone will offer us a crazy deal for AD. Just have to be patient.