08-15-2020, 11:09 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-15-2020, 11:20 PM by Scott41theMavs.)
Great post, KL. I do understand the concept of having that one great guy to build around. I think they've accelerated the process by getting a second star whom we would have seen as a reasonable alternative cornerstone had we known how good he would look at the end of this year. Your post is actually so persuasive as to get me to consider stomaching an offseason in which we don't finish the starting lineup.
Do your max slot calculations include a THJ extension? I think he can only productively be kept if the extension is $14 mil per or less. Considering I don't think the team is doing anything if he's higher overall than 5th in the quality/pecking order, that still seems like a lot of money, and it's hard to imagine he stays for less. If he picks up his player option, do they just tread water with him until he expires, doing that 2021 swing for the fences? Or do they trade him for a different expirer? I still rather believe that the best option is to find a way *this summer* to dump the team's bad contracts (THJ at his current price, Wright, and Powell) and make sure anyone else we acquire is either paid at something close to value or expiring in 2021. That way, we could easily do the Heat trick - trade away those good deals to clear room for that max guy (without even necessarily having to attach assets to them like the Heat did, iirc). If we get one of the league's best bargains this offseason with our MLE, that would obviously apply to him as well. I am also quite concerned that the failure to acquire at least one real starter to put next to Luka and KP is wasting a year in which they will be ready to be pretenders if not contenders, and that that could seriously disgruntle our baby star. I guess my bottom line is no plan powder, but rather plan Riley.
Do your max slot calculations include a THJ extension? I think he can only productively be kept if the extension is $14 mil per or less. Considering I don't think the team is doing anything if he's higher overall than 5th in the quality/pecking order, that still seems like a lot of money, and it's hard to imagine he stays for less. If he picks up his player option, do they just tread water with him until he expires, doing that 2021 swing for the fences? Or do they trade him for a different expirer? I still rather believe that the best option is to find a way *this summer* to dump the team's bad contracts (THJ at his current price, Wright, and Powell) and make sure anyone else we acquire is either paid at something close to value or expiring in 2021. That way, we could easily do the Heat trick - trade away those good deals to clear room for that max guy (without even necessarily having to attach assets to them like the Heat did, iirc). If we get one of the league's best bargains this offseason with our MLE, that would obviously apply to him as well. I am also quite concerned that the failure to acquire at least one real starter to put next to Luka and KP is wasting a year in which they will be ready to be pretenders if not contenders, and that that could seriously disgruntle our baby star. I guess my bottom line is no plan powder, but rather plan Riley.