Trade & FA 2025-26: Free Agency Starts 5pm CST/6pm EST

[ItsGoTime]

Pelicans:

Sending AD back to the Pelicans would be hilarious. A great negotiator might be able to abuse win now dinosaur Dumars

Poole + Murphy + Jones for AD +  Klay

[siize=medium]The better pipedream.[/size]

I posted this exact trade on discord. I really think NO is in a decent position to want to win now as well as bring back the prodigal son. As long as we’re not requesting Zion, I think they bite on what they would think is a crazy duo of Zion and AD. Adding in Klay helps sell the win now perspective. I feel like we might even be able to extract a first or 2 with the name recognition we are giving away.

[mvossman]

Never say never in the NBA. Nobody thought Luka would get traded until it happened. Also, Nico is unpredictable. If Klay keeps struggling, he's not exempt from getting shipped out.

Sure anything can happen, but there are a lot of things going against this happening.  Klay has been terrible, but the reality is this team desperately needs spacing and have few options on the current roster to get it.  Sending him out in a salary dump is basically a tanking move, and its really hard to see Nico going for the tank.  Not to mention, given all of the effort Nico has made to bring all of his buddies on the team, I'm skeptical he has any interest in sending any of them away regardless of level of play.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Sure anything can happen, but there are a lot of things going against this happening.  Klay has been terrible, but the reality is this team desperately needs spacing and have few options on the current roster to get it.  Sending him out in a salary dump is basically a tanking move, and its really hard to see Nico going for the tank.  Not to mention, given all of the effort Nico has made to bring all of his buddies on the team, I'm skeptical he has any interest in sending any of them away regardless of level of play.

That's fair enough. Guess we'll have to wait and see. They need to do something to correct this mismatched roster—too much of one thing, not enough of others.

[loki]

AD to Charlotte to get the 27 1st back (among other things) could be pretty appealing. That would buy the Mavs another season to develop before they have to be competitive again.

[RasheedsBigWhiteSpot]

Serious question: What would it take to fire Nico?

1. How bad of a record?
2. Who pulls the trigger? Does Cuban have any pull left, as I see he's around more? Would that be totally Dumont?
3. Who would take over? Finley as an interim?
4. Could that inspire the partial rebuild, reshuffling of the deck chairs?
5. Obviously AD needs to go and it's highly unlikely Nico does that. What is your preferred outcome of that? AD for picks (I want at least two #1's in this draft, with one pick conceivably in the lottery, or
AD for picks and players, or
AD for just better fitting players

I think he should fetch at least4-5 1's of varying quantity. My preferred trade is to Charlotte (who has cap space andAD for players? A combo. By the way I do think he has a market. stackable 1s) is Claxton (expiring) or Bridges and some filler, while leaving some space left over for either a TPE or future space) and 5 #1s over the next five drafts, which they can do. This season is TOAST. The high Mavs' pick plus the Hornets' picks enable the Mavs to build properly around Flagg and either Peterson, Boozer or AJ (fingers crossed). Meanwhile, the Hornets with Ball, Miller, Kneppel, AD, Williams could be a force in the East.
AD for players? A combo. By the way I do think he has a market.

[mvossman]

Serious question: What would it take to fire Nico?

1. How bad of a record?
2. Who pulls the trigger? Does Cuban have any pull left, as I see he's around more? Would that be totally Dumont?
3. Who would take over? Finley as an interim?
4. Could that inspire the partial rebuild, reshuffling of the deck chairs?
5. Obviously AD needs to go and it's highly unlikely Nico does that. What is your preferred outcome of that? AD for picks (I want at least two #1's in this draft, with one pick conceivably in the lottery, or
AD for picks and players, or
AD for just better fitting players

I think he should fetch at least4-5 1's of varying quantity. My preferred trade is to Charlotte (who has cap space andAD for players? A combo.  By the way  I do think he has a market. stackable 1s) is Claxton (expiring) or Bridges and some filler, while leaving some space left over for either a TPE or future space) and 5 #1s over the next five drafts, which they can do. This season is TOAST.  The high Mavs' pick plus the Hornets' picks enable the Mavs to build properly around Flagg and either Peterson, Boozer or AJ (fingers crossed). Meanwhile, the Hornets with Ball, Miller, Kneppel, AD, Williams could be a force in the East.
AD for players? A combo.  By the way  I do think he has a market.

Given that Nico was not fired after last season, its hard to know what it will take to get rid of him.  I am worried that Killer is right that this ownership does not really give a shit about this team.  And even if Dumont does, I am already convinced he is a complete idiot.  My biggest hope is that somebody convinces him (after watching the Nico dumpster fire) than Linsey was the primary architect of getting the team to the next level.  Maybe he brings in Linsey as the next GM.  At least he actually has prior experience.  I don't know if that is the right way to go, but it could very well be better than whoever Dumont picks out of a hat.

If they manage to trade AD, I would prefer it to be primarily for younger players.  That being said, it would be nice to get our pick back from Charlotte.  That would give the team another year to breath if they really are resetting to Flagg timeline.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Serious question: What would it take to fire Nico?

1. How bad of a record?
2. Who pulls the trigger? Does Cuban have any pull left, as I see he's around more? Would that be totally Dumont?
3. Who would take over? Finley as an interim?
4. Could that inspire the partial rebuild, reshuffling of the deck chairs?
5. Obviously AD needs to go and it's highly unlikely Nico does that. What is your preferred outcome of that? AD for picks (I want at least two #1's in this draft, with one pick conceivably in the lottery, or
AD for picks and players, or
AD for just better fitting players

I think he should fetch at least4-5 1's of varying quantity. My preferred trade is to Charlotte (who has cap space andAD for players? A combo.  By the way  I do think he has a market. stackable 1s) is Claxton (expiring) or Bridges and some filler, while leaving some space left over for either a TPE or future space) and 5 #1s over the next five drafts, which they can do. This season is TOAST.  The high Mavs' pick plus the Hornets' picks enable the Mavs to build properly around Flagg and either Peterson, Boozer or AJ (fingers crossed). Meanwhile, the Hornets with Ball, Miller, Kneppel, AD, Williams could be a force in the East.
AD for players? A combo.  By the way  I do think he has a market.

Cuban doesn't have the juice anymore to influence decision making. He gave that up when he sold the team. He's been reduced to a glorified cheerleader. The only person that can fire Nico is Dumont I would believe.

[Chicagojk]

Yeah, he should't be the one making these decisions if it comes to that.

The Mavericks are expected to explore Klay Thompson’s trade value on the market, per
@BrettSiegelNBA

“It is no secret that Harrison and the Mavericks' front office will explore what return exists for Klay Thompson before the trade deadline, and several teams are monitoring Daniel Gafford's status, sources said. The 27-year-old center recently signed a three-year, $60 million contract extension this offseason, but he remains trade eligible this season.”

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

AD to Charlotte to get the 27 1st back (among other things) could be pretty appealing. That would buy the Mavs another season to develop before they have to be competitive again.

Give me Lamelo

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

I’ll take Trae Young too.

I don’t even care about a title contender. I need basketball that doesn’t make me depressed.

[KillerLeft]

I’ll take Trae Young too.

I don’t even care about a title contender. I need basketball that doesn’t make me depressed.

Can I interest you in a Ja Morant?

[FireNicoHarrison]

If the price is not so high (no way next year FRP) i would like to try something for Ja.

[Smitty]

Can I interest you in a Ja Morant?

Another player that can’t stay on the court. Fits right in.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Can I interest you in a Ja Morant?

Nah he can’t shoot. Plus I don’t want him around Cooper Flagg.

[RasheedsBigWhiteSpot]

I don’t want him around Cooper Flagg.

See, I don't worry about Cooper for things like this. I think his makeup is locked into his DNA. I worry more about him getting frustrated by a lack of team building, playing out of position because of AD..

[FireNicoHarrison]

Refuse Ja in this Mavs situation is funny...

[SleepingHero]

I saw a tweet that had a deal like this:

AD to Charlotte for Josh Green+Grant Williams+Kon Kneuppel+ and our 2027 FRP back.

I thought it was silly at first, but truthfully its a reset and we get Kon out of the deal. Wouldn't really be opposed to it.

[SleepingHero]

https://x.com/nationmffl/status/19350859...06516?s=46

@NationMffl
Shams Charania:

“If you put Anthony Davis on the open market right now he’s fetching you four or five first-round picks right now.”

[FireNicoHarrison]

I saw a tweet that had a deal like this:

AD to Charlotte for Josh Green+Grant Williams+Kon Kneuppel+ and our 2027 FRP back.

I thought it was silly at first, but truthfully its a reset and we get Kon out of the deal. Wouldn't really be opposed to it.

The Josh&Grant come back should be funny!

But if we are really in tank mode our 27 FRP will be very good.

[FireNicoHarrison]

https://x.com/nationmffl/status/19350859...06516?s=46

@NationMffl
Shams Charania:

“If you put Anthony Davis on the open market right now he’s fetching you four or five first-round picks right now.”

If someone will pay 4/5 FRPs for him then pull the trigger ASAP.