Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[hakeemfaan]

Your thinking that some have a never-trade-Kyrie sentiment is way off. You want to label it that way, because it's an easy target to claim that others aren't open-minded, but it's not what you claim it is at all.  

The pushback against trading Kyrie is NOT about Kyrie being a fan favorite per se (although he is) nor about a desire to never trade him necessarily, but rather against the idea that the Mavs MUST find a Kyrie trade, and accept "the best offer anyone makes" (whatever that may be), and that Kyrie has only minor value to the Mavs themselves, and that it's kinda now or never. 

In your mind, you assume a value that will go down-down-down. Some of us reject that, with very good reason. 

The reason why I wanted Presti so much is that he clearly understood the fallacy in that now-or-never mentality. The smart GM will wait until the price is right, and when you have a valued asset, the market will come to you. Teams NEED talent, and sometimes need it desperately. Being the one desperate to make a deal (gotta do it now), that's the formula for making a horrible deal (see Harrison, N.). I would hope Masai gets it.

Agreed.

We all know that the Lakers, if they have to move on from Luka, will get much more than the Mavs did.  At least the bar is low there.

I said the day we sent AD to the Wiz, that the Wiz GM will get more for AD than what we got for him. It might change if AD refuses to suit up and forces his way out, but else, I do believe the Wiz GM will get more. 

If you have the most talented player in the deal and they are not forcing your hand, then don't force your own hand needlessly.  Everyone is talking about Coop's timeline.  Maybe Coop would love the Mavs more if he played with AD and Kyrie for a few years.   Just rushing to get some middling picks and hoping they will pan out to fit Coop's timeline might do more damage as he asks for a trade a few years from now, playing with a bunch of middling rooks, when he has played with top talent at Duke and at the pre college level. I'm not saying don't make moves, but just don't assume getting a bunch of youngsters and hoping to hit on one will make Coop stay or will definitely mean a better future around Coop.