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

[F Gump]

There have been a lot of very knowledgeable basketball folks (including Stein) who have weighed in on AD current value and you are not in the ballpark of any of them.  I don't know if its because you don't want to move AD unless you are blown over by an offer or if you think everybody else is wrong.  If its the former, these posts would seem more reasonable if you just preface with that.

It doesn't really bother me to be in the minority. I think you will see me turning out to be way more on target, in the end.

Part of the disconnect is because so many come at it from what I think is the wrong perspective. They are trying to define what they think other teams can, or will, offer the Mavs for AD these days. But his "value" can only be defined by an actual trade (what a buyer will pay, and the seller will sell for) and theorizing what teams might prefer to offer is really short of answering the question of what a trade would look like if it happens, because it completely ignores the question of what it would take for the Mavs to say yes.

I don't think an AD trade is seen by the Mavs as imperative. I think "no trade" is very feasible, unless some team brings a STRONG offer to the table.

The Stein stuff, that was a bizarre take from him imo. I was stunned, because he's usually the voice of reason. In essence, he was saying "the Mavs are screwed because AD got hurt and now they will be forced to take a really crappy low offer" and I think that was utter nonsense. Or carrying someone's water for an agenda (trying to entice bidders to try to come take advantage and thus restart the "bidding"?). C'mon Marc. The Mavs are not being FORCED to swap AD for almost no value at all, as he moans, because they can always just keep him (and I think they truly have no issue with doing that). 

I have said from the get-go that my pov is that X (more or less) is what I think an AD deal (his apparent "value") will look like if a deal happens - and have also said that I don't think a deal (from Mavs pov) is going to be a "must do." If there is a deal, and it's for crap, then yes I will have been wrong. But imo his value to the Mavs is much higher than that, and they will either have someone pay that value, or they will keep him and use him for their own roster. The fact that other teams might want to offer less is irrelevant as to defining his value, unless the Mavs agree to sell him at that price. 

Another overlooked factor is that no deal will happen now. With him mending, bidders will not get serious until the last days before the TDL. What we are hearing now is noise.

It is in THAT context - what I think it would take for the Mavs to be interested and perhaps say yes - that I have been addressing the question of what is needed for an AD trade. The Mavs imo are expecting a certain amount of TALENT in return, to let go of AD, which can come via pick(s) or very good players, and I think most of the offers here fall well short of that. You (and others) don't like my pov, but let's see if he gets sold for a lot less. I don't think it will happen.