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

[Smitty]

The simplest framework for Poeltl instead of Quickley is Poeltl+Barrett+Agbaji OR CMB + the pick package FOR Davis + B-Will. The Mavs would have to waive Exum, and no room for Nemby unless they also waive Powell down the line. And the Raptors would need to covert one of their two-ways to get to the minimum 14.

[Lewenberg] The Toronto Raptors have shown “exploratory interest” in Anthony Davis with their trade package likely being built around RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, and two or three first-round draft picks.

Well, I picked a good day to talk Raptors. How does the board feel about it?

DAL: RJ Barrett ($27.7M/$29.6M), Jacob Poeltl ($19.5M), Ochai Agbaji ($6.3M-Expiring), '27 FRP, '28 FRP Swap, '29 FRP, '30 FRP Swap
TOR: Anthony Davis ($54.1M), Brandon Williams ($2.2M)

This is Poeltl's extension:




Mavs roster after this hypothetical:


Kyrie | Nemby* | DLO | Hardy
Max | Klay | Agbaji
Barrett | Naji | Kelly*
Flagg | PJW | Martin
Lively | Gafford | Poeltl | Powell | Cisse*

Waive: Exum
*Two-Way

[KillerLeft]

Well, I picked a good day to talk Raptors. How does the board feel about it?

DAL: RJ Barrett ($27.7M/$29.6M), Jacob Poeltl ($19.5M), Ochai Agbaji ($6.3M-Expiring), '27 FRP, '28 FRP Swap, '29 FRP, '30 FRP Swap
TOR: Anthony Davis ($54.1M), Brandon Williams ($2.2M)

This is Poeltl's extension:




Mavs roster after this hypothetical:


Kyrie | Nemby* | DLO | Hardy
Max | Klay | Agbaji
Barrett | Naji | Kelly*
Flagg | PJW | Martin
Lively | Gafford | Poeltl | Powell | Cisse*

Waive: Exum
*Two-Way

Under no circumstances would I do a deal that results in Poeltl ending up here. That would be a conversation ender for me, in the Mavs' shoes. Any TOR scenario would have to include a plan for him to go somewhere else in order for expiring money to land here. Once that hurdle is cleared, the draft capital starts to look attractive. But, if the result is going to be sizable bad salary like Poeltl's, I'd prefer just to have Davis make that money here until his contract runs out. That would officially be missing the forest for the trees, imho.

One of the better aspects of the ATL deal that we're not discussing enough is the combination of Porizingis and Kennard expiring at year's end. That's kind of important, given where things are.

[Smitty]

The Warriors have never been shy about the cap. I wonder if they'd take Poeltl for Kuminga.

I don't know why any team would take Poeltl.

[Smitty]

Under no circumstances would I do a deal that results in Poeltl ending up here. That would be a conversation ender for me, in the Mavs' shoes. Any TOR scenario would have to include a plan for him to go somewhere else in order for expiring money to land here. Once that hurdle is cleared, the draft capital starts to look attractive. But, if the result is going to be sizable bad salary like Poeltl's, I'd prefer just to have Davis make that money here until his contract runs out. That would officially be missing the forest for the trees, imho.

One of the better aspects of the ATL deal that we're not discussing enough is the combination of Porizingis and Kennard expiring at year's end. That's kind of important, given where things are.

I agree. I think it's a poopoo platter of Yuck! Diving into the Toronto side has made me appreciate the Hawks trade package a lot more. That NO Pick might not be a dealbreaker after all...  

[Smitty]

@ShamsCharania
Just in: For the first time, the Memphis Grizzlies are entertaining offers to potentially move two-time All-Star Ja Morant ahead of the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline, sources tell ESPN.

@ShamsCharania
Multiple teams are pursuing Morant in trade talks and rival executives believe the Grizzlies would prioritize draft picks and young players in return, sources said. Morant, 26, is under contract with the Grizzlies through the 2027-28 season.

[Mavs2021]

Player A: 24.2 PPG / 11.5 RPG / 3.3 APG / 2.9 BPG / 0.9 SPG / (52/36/82)

Player B: 17.4 PPG / 7.8 RPG / 3.0 APG / 2.3 BPG / 0.8 SPG / (50/37/71)

Player C: 11.2 PPG / 3.3 RPG / 1.4 APG / 0.5 BPG / 0.9 SPG / (46/36/64)

Send it to the Hawks tell them: Listen you morons picked Trae + Reddish over Luka and Player C over Player B. Just give us the Pelicans already to save you another embarrassing draft moment.

Okay the real point to this. I Sarr you, Alex. If Wemby is an alien. Is Sarr his brother?

[Mavs2021]

@ShamsCharania
Just in: For the first time, the Memphis Grizzlies are entertaining offers to potentially move two-time All-Star Ja Morant ahead of the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline, sources tell ESPN.

@ShamsCharania
Multiple teams are pursuing Morant in trade talks and rival executives believe the Grizzlies would prioritize draft picks and young players in return, sources said. Morant, 26, is under contract with the Grizzlies through the 2027-28 season.

Trading is not illlegal, right? Can´t the Grizzlies just tweet this themselves.

[omahen]

Well, I picked a good day to talk Raptors. How does the board feel about it?

DAL: RJ Barrett ($27.7M/$29.6M), Jacob Poeltl ($19.5M), Ochai Agbaji ($6.3M-Expiring), '27 FRP, '28 FRP Swap, '29 FRP, '30 FRP Swap
TOR: Anthony Davis ($54.1M), Brandon Williams ($2.2M)

This is Poeltl's extension:




Mavs roster after this hypothetical:


Kyrie | Nemby* | DLO | Hardy
Max | Klay | Agbaji
Barrett | Naji | Kelly*
Flagg | PJW | Martin
Lively | Gafford | Poeltl | Powell | Cisse*

Waive: Exum
*Two-Way

Poeltl is a good center, but looks like he has some serious injury problems (back). An injury that don't tend to get better with age. Barret is a decent wing but way overpaid for what he provides. He is neither a great defender nor a good three point shooter. So not something ideal to have next to offensive stars. Not good enough to be a second offensive option on a good team. Mavs could perhaps still flip him for some draft capital next season though, as everyone is always looking for wings. Another problem is that Mavs get only a little bit of cap saving for next season with this trade. 

Atlanta can offer a much better package even without NO pick, imho. Poeltl is at least one FRP negative value. KP is equally good as Poeltl and equal injury liability, but at least he expires next season. So Toronto is down 1 FRP in this conversation to Atlanta. Barret is better than Kennard, but will cost 30 mil more next season. Not sure if I could say he is 1 FRP higher value, lets say one swap higher value. Risacher is at least 1 FRP value (since none of the picks is really great) and that might be downplaying his value. I am not getting into Agbaji, as he doesn't seem to have any value - there were rumors that Toronto is offering a second rounder to whoever wants to eat his deal.

Based on this the equivalent Hawks offer would be KP, Kennard, ZR, 1 Atlanta pick in any year from 2028-2030 and 3 swaps (or whatever other picks that have equal value to those swaps).

[Mavs2021]

Poeltl´s contract alone is worth two 1st round picks. The contract was dumb, when Poeltl signed it as an healthy player. Injured it´s up there with the worst contracts in the whole league.

[Chicagojk]

There are already rumors that Washington might just shut down Young for this season. 

I agree Utah is playing with fire. They want to build around Markanen (at least these are the messages around) after next season, but that will be very difficult if they lose the pick this year. So far they didn't have any luck from getting a top end talent from their years of tanking. Ainge is also doing a very bad job by overvaluing his role players and then losing them for almost nothing (they got 1 SRP for Collins), nothing (Clarkson) or even paying (Sexton + SRP for Nurkic). A prime example of how keeping a strong negotiating position is in no way a guarantee that leads to best end result.

Plus last two years they have deliberately tanked, but didn't get rewarded for that.  How do you tell a young, good coach and a guy like Markanen in his prime to do it again?   Seems like the wrong way to build the right culture.

On the other side, I have only seen him a few times but I have liked what I have seen from Keyonte George.  You always have to wonder if it is real or just a player putting up stats on a bad team.  To me, it looks pretty real.  He went to my college but had no real grasp of the type of talent he was.  If I remember he was a top recruit entering college but dropped back some after an up and down freshman season.

[Smitty]

@TheDunkCentral
The Atlanta Hawks have some doubts about Onyeka Okongwu long term, per @KellyIko

“The Hawks, according to conversations with rival executives, agents and former players, are unsure of the long-term prospects of Onyeka Okongwu and Mo Gueye at center from a contention standpoint. Atlanta is an average defensive team (16th in defensive rating, per Cleaning the Glass), but a core featuring Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Johnson and Davis has enough versatility and optionality to rewrite a narrative that would have been otherwise impossible with Young as the centerpiece.”



Compromise?

[Chicagojk]

@TheDunkCentral
The Atlanta Hawks have some doubts about Onyeka Okongwu long term, per @KellyIko

“The Hawks, according to conversations with rival executives, agents and former players, are unsure of the long-term prospects of Onyeka Okongwu and Mo Gueye at center from a contention standpoint. Atlanta is an average defensive team (16th in defensive rating, per Cleaning the Glass), but a core featuring Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Johnson and Davis has enough versatility and optionality to rewrite a narrative that would have been otherwise impossible with Young as the centerpiece.”

Weird last years #1 pick is not included in that core but NAW is.

[Mavs2021]

Plus last two years they have deliberately tanked, but didn't get rewarded for that.  How do you tell a young, good coach and a guy like Markanen in his prime to do it again?   Seems like the wrong way to build the right culture.

On the other side, I have only seen him a few times but I have liked what I have seen from Keyonte George.  You always have to wonder if it is real or just a player putting up stats on a bad team.  To me, it looks pretty real.  He went to my college but had no real grasp of the type of talent he was.  If I remember he was a top recruit entering college but dropped back some after an up and down freshman season.

Markkanen turns 29 in a few months. The idea that they are building around him is just BS. They are building around Dybantsa and George. They have been grooming Dybantsa for years. I guarantee you that they either get Dybantsa outright or they´ll offer Markkanen to whoever is in the top 4 for a pick swap. Assuming Atlanta gets AD. Do they really say no to Markkanen + #7 pick for Dybantsa?

[Mavs2021]

Weird last years #1 pick is not included in that core but NAW is.

Probably cause NAW averages more points than a certain top 15 player.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

1. I want no part of any of the Raptors guys: Poetl, Quickley, Barrett.

2. Out of the Atlanta assets, two of these would probably be enough for me to deal AD: Risacher, Okongwu, the 2027 pick they control, the 2026 Cavs pick.

If some of you are right that the Mavs are holding out for more and get more, I'd be ecstatic. But that's not my read of the current situation.

[KillerLeft]

Weird last years #1 pick is not included in that core but NAW is.

Because he's about to be a Maverick, and everyone knows it.

[Tyler]

@TheDunkCentral
The Atlanta Hawks have some doubts about Onyeka Okongwu long term, per @KellyIko

“The Hawks, according to conversations with rival executives, agents and former players, are unsure of the long-term prospects of Onyeka Okongwu and Mo Gueye at center from a contention standpoint. Atlanta is an average defensive team (16th in defensive rating, per Cleaning the Glass), but a core featuring Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Johnson and Davis has enough versatility and optionality to rewrite a narrative that would have been otherwise impossible with Young as the centerpiece.”

If Atlanta is not married to Okongwu and doesn't include Risacher in the future core, the best implied deal is KP/Risacher/Okongwu for AD/DLo. Significant cap relief and 2 good young players. Add another pick if possible, but that's honestly not a bad deal.

[Smitty]

1. I want no part of any of the Raptors guys:  Poetl, Quickley, Barrett.

2.  Out of the Atlanta assets, two of these would probably be enough for me to deal AD:  Risacher, Okongwu, the 2027 pick they control, the 2026 Cavs pick.

If some of you are right that the Mavs are holding out for more and get more, I'd be ecstatic.  But that's not my read of the current situation.

I’m right there with you. I almost like the OO deal better then the ZR one. A 5/4 that can space the floor in kind of a Maxi role would fit well with Flagg. I also like the idea of a right to swap with the Pels pick this year. There’s a lot of different ways it can go with ATL. Most of them are palatable, some of them are ideal.

[omahen]

Plus last two years they have deliberately tanked, but didn't get rewarded for that.  How do you tell a young, good coach and a guy like Markanen in his prime to do it again?   Seems like the wrong way to build the right culture.

On the other side, I have only seen him a few times but I have liked what I have seen from Keyonte George.  You always have to wonder if it is real or just a player putting up stats on a bad team.  To me, it looks pretty real.  He went to my college but had no real grasp of the type of talent he was.  If I remember he was a top recruit entering college but dropped back some after an up and down freshman season.

George was pretty much an inefficient chucker in his first two seasons. Putting up decent counting stats on a bad team and bad efficiency, so basically empty stats. This season he has improved a lot, but I still have doubt he can be a starting level piece on a contender. He has 6.9 assists per game, but also 3.5 turnovers. His eFG% is at 53, which is ok. Not a good defender.

[Mavs2021]

1. I want no part of any of the Raptors guys:  Poetl, Quickley, Barrett.

2.  Out of the Atlanta assets, two of these would probably be enough for me to deal AD:  Risacher, Okongwu, the 2027 pick they control, the 2026 Cavs pick.

If some of you are right that the Mavs are holding out for more and get more, I'd be ecstatic.  But that's not my read of the current situation.

Exactly. Let´s be real about this.

Flagg
your own top 10 pick
Kuminga
Risacher 
Cavs 2026 pick
Christie
Lively
Nembhard

#You can at least sell HOPE. 

Fans can be excited to see eight young players.

Will Flagg become an All-Star? What do our two rookies have? Can one of Risacher and Kuminga come good? Will Lively be back? Will Christie make a leap?

#You can at least sell HOPE.