(05-24-2024, 09:28 AM)SleepingHero Wrote: All those things you said were true regarding THJ, but if the Mavs found a way to turn Bertans, who by all accounts is a worse player with a worse contract at the time, into space+Lively
Look at it as Mavs selling Cason Wallace and Bertans for space and Lively. OKC wanted Wallace and they were affraid he would be gone by their pick. Taking Bertans was the OKC price for getting Wallace. Just the same way Mavs will have to pay the price to dump THJ if they choose so. OKC didn't mind Bertans too much, as they had all the cap space they wanted with team already more or less set. They found use in his more or less expiring contract, just didn't use it well (failed Hayward trade).
I would love to do some exchange of 2025 pick and salary for lower salary and 2024 pick, but there are no teams with relevant cap space on draft night.