(02-08-2024, 07:11 PM)surfpuckmd Wrote: I hate the PJ Washington trade.  I think PJ Washington looked like a good player with a bright future a few years ago.  He has since lost his ability to hit the 3 and no longer tries on defense.  He's bigger than Grant Williams.  He has long arms.   I can't say a lot of other nice things about him.  He's below average on offense and defense.  I hate this particular trade.  Maybe he'll be rejuvenated on a better team.  Maybe he'll decide to try on defense.  We might luck out.  

We were swindled by the Hornets.  Top-2 protection is worse than any scenario I thought was actually possible.  I thought lottery-protection was the worst possible outcome.  Mark Cuban dived beneath my lowest expectations.

(02-08-2024, 03:38 PM)SleepingHero Wrote: Dallas can give $5,405,000 pro-rated- pretty sure the most of any team right now available.

(02-08-2024, 07:27 PM)F Gump Wrote: As I'm sure you know, buyout guys almost never incite a bidding war. These are players their team has paid to go away, and they have already been paid for the season. So in virtually every case it is a rest-of-season pro-rated minimum, which any team can offer, and is going to be about $700,000 this season (depending on when the player signs).

After today's trades, the Mavs have one empty roster slot and still have about $2.66M of room under the tax line.

Also noteworthy is that the rest of the season from here is the time frame when smart front offices assess youngsters not on NBA deals (including their own 2-ways) and sign one of them to a multi-year deal at minimum salary with almost no future guarantees. That's a good use for leftover MLE which can lock up a player for 3 years or even 4 for such a player. That works if (but only if) your staff has done a good job developing those fringe youngsters.

(02-08-2024, 07:24 PM)The Jom Wrote: It’s really hard for me to understand how anyone can think the Mavs are in the lottery in 3 years. Nearly the entire team is under contract that long. Only THJ, Exum, Jones, and Hardy are not. This team is far from picking in the lottery this year, and they will have several opportunities to improve between now and 27.

(02-08-2024, 03:38 PM)StrandedOnBeauboisHill Wrote: If you assume Exum is out for the year it makes sense, otherwise it’s odd to me. Dinwiddie may legitimately be the worst perimeter defender I’ve seen on this team the past decade and he’s been reallllllly bad this year overall.

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Ya if he wants to take Seth’s now empty role fine but I don’t want him very high in the pecking order here.

(02-08-2024, 07:27 PM)F Gump Wrote: As I'm sure you know, buyout guys almost never incite a bidding war. These are players their team has paid to go away, and they have already been paid for the season. So in virtually every case it is a rest-of-season pro-rated minimum, which any team can offer, and is going to be about $700,000 this season (depending on when the player signs).

After today's trades, the Mavs have one empty roster slot and still have about $2.66M of room under the tax line.

Also noteworthy is that the rest of the season from here is the time frame when smart front offices assess youngsters not on NBA deals (including their own 2-ways) and sign one of them to a multi-year deal at minimum salary with almost no future guarantees. That's a good use for leftover MLE which can lock up a player for 3 years or even 4 for such a player. That works if (but only if) your staff has done a good job developing those fringe youngsters.

(02-08-2024, 07:37 PM)F Gump Wrote: No idea if the Mavs will get him, but the addition of SD in 2022 made a huge difference, because it added another significant ball-handler who can attack, and score. That let them play Luka and Brunson together, and as many minutes as each could handle, with another player who can do some of those things waiting to give them a rest.

In theory Kyrie is now in the Brunson role, and Exum is the 3rd guy. But you really need another guy because of injuries. SD can be that guy. And he already knows that role very well.

(02-08-2024, 07:11 PM)surfpuckmd Wrote: I hate the PJ Washington trade.  I think PJ Washington looked like a good player with a bright future a few years ago.  He has since lost his ability to hit the 3 and no longer tries on defense.  He's bigger than Grant Williams.  He has long arms.   I can't say a lot of other nice things about him.  He's below average on offense and defense.  I hate this particular trade.  Maybe he'll be rejuvenated on a better team.  Maybe he'll decide to try on defense.  We might luck out.  

We were swindled by the Hornets.  Top-2 protection is worse than any scenario I thought was actually possible.  I thought lottery-protection was the worst possible outcome.  Mark Cuban dived beneath my lowest expectations.

(02-08-2024, 07:11 PM)surfpuckmd Wrote: I hate the PJ Washington trade.  I think PJ Washington looked like a good player with a bright future a few years ago.  He has since lost his ability to hit the 3 and no longer tries on defense.  He's bigger than Grant Williams.  He has long arms.   I can't say a lot of other nice things about him.  He's below average on offense and defense.  I hate this particular trade.  Maybe he'll be rejuvenated on a better team.  Maybe he'll decide to try on defense.  We might luck out. 

(02-08-2024, 07:37 PM)F Gump Wrote: No idea if the Mavs will get him, but the addition of SD in 2022 made a huge difference, because it added another significant ball-handler who can attack, and score. That let them play Luka and Brunson together, and as many minutes as each could handle, with another player who can do some of those things waiting to give them a rest. And at times the Mavs would really push the envelope and play all 3 together. (With plenty of rim-running bigs who can DEFEND, I wonder what that sort of attack would create now? Just thinking.)

In theory Kyrie is now in the Brunson role, and Exum is the 3rd guy. But you really need another guy because of injuries. SD can be that guy. And he already knows that role very well.

(02-08-2024, 03:53 PM)StrandedOnBeauboisHill Wrote: Guys Dinwiddie is shooting less than 40% FROM THE FIELD this year. Ya he’s moody and maybe will get revived AGAIN next to Luka but we have much much better options.

I don’t think folks are appreciating how small a sample size Dinwiddies good shooting was here AND how he really only showed up for like 2 playoff games. If I have to watch Dinwiddie close out shooters like he’s drunk falling into the first row of the crowd again I’m going to be annoyed.

(02-08-2024, 08:39 PM)Dundalis Wrote: Did you just point out Dinwiddie's shooting this year in 48 games, then dismiss his "small sample" size shooting for Dallas over 94 games? Seriously?

Also want to know what Dinwiddie was shooting prior to coming to Dallas, where everyone was trashing his acquisition like you are now? The fact we have better options now makes this an even better pick up. He's easily best positioned to replicate some of what Luka or Kyrie do when one or both are out. And should get limited minutes otherwise. Would be an excellent low risk pickup.

(02-08-2024, 08:50 PM)mvossman Wrote: To be fair, Dinwiddie has been a bad 3 point shooter his entire career other than his stint in Dallas.  Its a much bigger sample size than his 94 games here.  It seems clear there was some Luka effect, but I don't think it wise to expect him to shoot anywhere near what he did last time he was here.

(02-08-2024, 07:26 PM)surfpuckmd Wrote: As much as I dislike the PJ Washington trade, I like the Gafford move.  We have been a much better team this season when Lively is in the game.  What I really wanted was a Lively clone.  Gafford is pretty close to that.  He'll provide similar rim protection, rebounding and elite finishing at the rim as Lively.  He immediately becomes one of the league's best backup bigs.  I like his contract.  I like his effort on defense.  I think he'll love playing with Luka.

When everyone is healthy, this will give us a bench of THJ, Gafford, Exum, DJJ and Kleber.  That is one of the best benches in the NBA.

I think the Gafford acquisition was a winning move and makes us the favorite for the 6th spot in the West.  I think a Booker or Durant injury would give us good shot at 5th.  Overall, I think today was a decent day.  I just can't get over the top-2 protected pick for PJ Washington.  I can't wait to see Gafford play with Luka and Kyrie though.

(02-08-2024, 09:05 PM)F Gump Wrote: There's 2 ways to look at this. One is your pov here, but there may be a better one to consider.

It's clear that SD's shooting pcts have not been good this season.

But I find it interesting -- and perhaps very informative -- that SD changed teams mid-season two different times. In both of those seasons, he played much of the season with Dallas, and then with another team.

Both of those times, his shooting percentages were way better in Dallas, and way worse on the other team. Same player. Same season. But way different shooter in Dallas. And each of those non-Dallas stints looked alike, and also look like his season in BKN this year. Look it up, the data on his shooting says he is a completely different player in Dallas. 

If I'm not mistaken, there was also a big difference in how he was used in WAS and BKN. In those places, wasn't he the PRIMARY ball-handler, initiating the offense every time down? Whereas, in Dallas, he played mostly off the ball, but with the opportunity to handle the ball and attack at times as needed. Is that pointing to a different explanation as to why he has such different results as a Mav?  - it's not luck, or a bad player blooming then regressing, but rather being used in a way that better suits his skills.

(02-08-2024, 09:37 PM)HoosierDaddyKid Wrote: Not cool wishing injuries on someone. You wouldn't want someone saying the same for your team or players. They could get a higher seed than where they are now, but the West is a bloodbath. Plenty of good teams you have to battle.

(02-08-2024, 07:54 PM)Dundalis Wrote: I heard similar talk when we traded for Spencer Dinwiddie. I get we didn't give up a FRP, but people trashed Dinwiddie.

Big similarities between the two is that by every single report, PJ Washington is the consummate pro and great in the locker room. Those types of players can still get jaded when playing for a team as trash as the Hornets, but also exactly the type of player who will rejuvenate performance wise when they get put onto a good team, because that professionalism will carry them. The skillset and talent is obviously there as you said, given what he showed his first three years. It's the guys who are poor pros with ego issues that have issues no matter what situation they are in. Maybe it won't work, but I think that bit of information is important to note for how he could perform coming here.