(02-06-2024, 09:33 PM)The Jom Wrote: How bout PJ and Kyle Lowry for the unwanted 4 (Morris, Holmes, Hardaway, Williams). I’d pay an unprotected first for that.

(02-06-2024, 10:07 PM)Jakeospikez Wrote: Box score plus minus metrics being the end all be all that lots of fans care about is getting tiresome. Need to watch players play. Lamelo has been out most of the year and maybe he's disgruntled that he's stuck there because he was a RFA and wants out and all anyone can do is point to plus minus. GWill had good metrics in Boston Im sure, yet he is clearly not a fit here as a starting 4. Random 4s/5s shoot over him in the paint like he doesn't even exist. PJ has plenty of skill, proper size/length, actually blocks shots, and will likely be much better here. Him being a bad defender in Cha doesn't instantly correlate that he'll suck here. Mavs do their double and swarm scheme and he may be the right guy to play 4 for that scheme cause he is decently quick for a big wing. I'd be fine with PJ. Would prefer someone with a shorter contract like PJs if the Mavs believe in OMax cause they'll expire out sooner and can potentially be used in a trade in a couple of years if OMax is ready to take over. Collins is way more expensive but has only 2 more years and a big expiring. Beef stew would prob be fine also. Whatever the best deal is any of these guys would be ok as starting 4s/small ball 5s.

Getting proper value for the 2027 1st might need to be a combination of players plus shedding bad contracts. I think the move is to just trade the 2027 1st really. If Luka leaves they should get a ton of assets back to recover and if he stays you need to start being good now while he's peaking and ready for title contention. Really depends on if they have some plan for this offseason I guess. THJ/Holmes can be valuable salary matching this offseason, or maybe some tanking team wants expirings going into next season rather than expiring this season so they have value this tdl.


Kuzma does have skill but what has this skill lead to with Kuzma? He thinks he's the shit and he chucks trying to jack his numbers up so that he can get a bigger next contract. OMax already looks like a better defender than him. His feet are way quicker and he hustles his ass off on defense plus his arms are longer. Look at OMax's fluidness on defense. He buys into the defensive stopper role as his main skill. Kuzma will be the guy to not care about spending lots of energy on defense and just want to get his numbers up.

(02-06-2024, 11:26 PM)vfromlmf Wrote: Luka and Kyrie could’ve used the help tonight. This game is a great example that illustrates my argument that THJ is the odd man out. His shots and minutes were down because he’s TOO SMALL and it’s only going to get worse when Exum returns. This team needs one of Green/Exum on the floor at all times and THJ isn’t taking Luka or Kyrie’s minutes unless it’s getting them to 36 instead of 40. There’s not enough minutes left for another 6’ 5” guard to get 28 minutes per game, and THJ is never going to average 18 points in 14-18 minutes that are available. This negates his value to this team. THJ needs to be moved for more size.

(02-06-2024, 11:26 PM)vfromlmf Wrote: Luka and Kyrie could’ve used the help tonight. This game is a great example that illustrates my argument that THJ is the odd man out. His shots and minutes were down because he’s TOO SMALL and it’s only going to get worse when Exum returns. This team needs one of Green/Exum on the floor at all times and THJ isn’t taking Luka or Kyrie’s minutes unless it’s getting them to 36 instead of 40. There’s not enough minutes left for another 6’ 5” guard to get 28 minutes per game, and THJ is never going to average 18 points in 14-18 minutes that are available. This negates his value to this team. THJ needs to be moved for more size.

(02-06-2024, 11:38 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: Luka is not a guard on defense. 6’6” is not small for a guard. What are you talking about?

(02-06-2024, 10:19 PM)mvossman Wrote: Why?  Holmes and Hardaway will be expiring in the offseason and perfect fodder for trades.  All that trade would do is bring us roughly to the cap line.  After the first 10 mil you are not accomplishing anything.  GWill is looking like a bad contract, but it makes no sense to spend part of an unprotected first to dump him for air when you have no way to replace it.

(02-06-2024, 11:11 PM)MarkAguirreWrathofGod Wrote: I’m pretty sure even Kuzma would be fully aware he is 3rd in the pecking order behind two of the best offensive players to EVER play the game. And he would still even probably average 20ppg, just feasting off of easy looks. Imagine replacing GW or DJJ with a 6’10 version of Josh Green. Kuzma would have to buy-in, of course. But our rebounding and defense would probably improve and the offensive potential would go through the roof.

(02-07-2024, 12:50 AM)Knutsen Wrote: And now imagine - maybe for the second half of next season - a starting line-up of

Kyrie
Luka
O-Max
Kuzma
Lively

Now you‘re talking about one of the longest and at the same time most skilled line-ups in the league with two very athletic and defensively focused young guys at the three and at the five and a mismatch for every single defense at the one, two and four positions.

(02-06-2024, 06:20 PM)omahen Wrote: From Fisher:

The Bucks’ valuation of Portis, not just for his shooting ability and veteran know-how but also his championship history with the franchise, is also the reason it would take far more than Grant Williams, sources said, for Milwaukee to send Portis to Dallas.

(02-06-2024, 11:38 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: Luka is not a guard on defense. 6’6” is not small for a guard. What are you talking about?

(02-07-2024, 12:50 AM)Knutsen Wrote: And now imagine - maybe for the second half of next season - a starting line-up of

Kyrie
Luka
O-Max
Kuzma
Lively

Now you‘re talking about one of the longest and at the same time most skilled line-ups in the league with two very athletic and defensively focused young guys at the three and at the five and a mismatch for every single defense at the one, two and four positions.

(02-07-2024, 07:38 AM)Okstate819 Wrote: THJ is the obvious odd man out. I wonder if the simplest trade is THJ and 27 1st for PJ? He really would be a great fit and although giving up 27 hurts it’s better than 27 +omax that it would take to get Kuzma.

(02-07-2024, 07:42 AM)surfpuckmd Wrote: THJ is a better player than PJ Washington.  Giving up THJ for PJ Washington makes some sense in that we would be bigger but adding a 1st for the privilege would be a disaster.  

Kuzma is a better player than PJ Washington but doesn't really solve our problems.

If our best options are to trade our 2027 1st for PJ Washington or Kyle Kuzma, I hope Mark Cuban will just sit on his hands.  Or, someone else can sit on his hands until the trade deadline is over.

(02-07-2024, 12:06 AM)vfromlmf Wrote: My point is, if you pay attention, there isn't a way to solve the size problem while simultaneously giving THJ enough minutes to justify his role on this team, unless you want to play THJ at the expense of Green/Exum, and I don't. If THJ wants to play 18 minutes and limit himself to a few catch & shoot threes while playing strong defense, fine. Then we don't have a THJ problem. But that's not what THJ does in this league.

(02-07-2024, 04:57 AM)SleepingHero Wrote: THJ is neither, and I agree with vfromlmf that THJ overlaps too much with Luka+Kyrie to have any sort of role on this team.