Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[DanSchwartzgan]

Here's a chunk of Dan's great post from the other day, just as a reference. We don't know if the Mathurin stuff is real, but if it is I think it's safe to say the front office likes his potential quite a bit to pursue him at this number. 

There are probably ways to match a cheaper contract and not include either PJW or Gafford as the outgoing, but I don't think it's worth wasting too much time thinking about those paths. The whole NBA world has been reporting that Dallas offered Gafford for Mathurin at the trade deadline, and LAC seems to need a center, so...it's really just about whether Dallas still wants him, wants him on that level of contract and whether LAC wants to let him go, imo. I doubt they're looking to do a Mathruin for Thompson deal, for example, and it's not like Dallas has draft capital laying around to use on something like this.

What's interesting to me is that the other guy everyone agrees they offered Gafford for at the deadline was Risacher, and now he's here. We knew Risacher was a potential target as a means of offloading AD at the time, but I've seen it out there a lot since the trade that ATL turned down an offer of Gafford at the time, too. It might be coincidence that both the Ricardi/Finley version and the Ujiri/Schmitz version of the front office liked Risacher, but I've been wondering if they (Ujiri, at least) weren't already consulting from afar?

This has been such a crazy summer for the Mavs. I love that it's still going!

Just to be clear, those financials were for a straight up one for one deal of Gafford for Mathurin.  The point of that particular number was the flexibility Dallas left itself to do such a deal and stay under the tax if something blows up around the Kawhi investigation.  It was a tea leaf.

If Dallas and Denver join in the larger Toronto/LAC deal there is greater flexibility around Mathurin’s number.  We’ve all seen the deals this summer that don’t guarantee all years of the contract and S&T deals only have to be guaranteed for the first year of the required three (see Middleton’s deal for reference).  So, we don’t know a number yet and we don’t know how many years it would be guaranteed for…IF this happens.  No need for anyone to get their panties in a wad over money yet.

One of the objections I’ve seen to this has been no national reporting of this…not an issue any more.  Some have said LAC will keep him.  I don’t see it, especially if they trade for Watson.  And how are they going to fill that gaping hole at center?  I’ve read that Mathurin isn’t needed because we have a SG rotation of Christie/Klay/Biberovic…I laughed out loud.  Klay is standing in the way?  That’s the objection?

I do think Mvossman’s concern about how this fits with Naji is something to consider.  Recall that Naji was brought here to be the 3&D replacement for DJJ.  He didn’t have it from 3 and was forced into a creation role none of knew he had.  I disagree that Mathurin and Naji are equivalent scorers.  Naji is a one-level scorer who is really good at the rim and with floaters near the basket.  He contributes nothing to spacing.  Are we sure what he does well is important to the new regime?  Mathurin can create for himself at three levels.  He’s not great at any of them…yet, but he takes 3’s and gets to the line with volume (and hits his FT’s).  If the efficiency was a bit better, these would be pretty good traits in a bench scorer who can create for himself while the stars sit. 

I think you are right to point out the past interest in Mathurin (and Risacher) and I agree with your theory about Masai influencing decisions from afar. It just makes too much sense.  Much of what we are seeing is throwing high upsides gambles against the wall and hoping something sticks.  It is just as true of Mathurin as it is of Sasser, Risacher, Rez and Larry.  I’m glad you see it.