A Few Thoughts on Mavs 114, Lakers 100

[Dundalis]

None of our top targets went to lesser teams. If you have any examples I've overlooked please let me know. Otherwise see my post above where I noted that top FAs go to playoff caliber teams, which the Mavs were were FAR from last season.

Another example of an advantage in the pitch process, but not insurmountable. Are we sure all those "targets" you mentioned were actual Mavs targets? I'd contend that there is a chance Bogdanovic, Brogdan maybe even Favors (which wasn't a FA, but gettable none-the-less) were possibly ruled out. All we needed was 2 starter level guys to say yes (there were a TON of them in this largest FA crop ever). Does getting Favors in trade change the mind of Green (where he decides to say yes before Kawhi makes his decision as he said he was really close to saying yes anyway) or any of the others? None of this is provable, so I could be wrong, that's why I don't give praise for less-than performance, just like I'll do with any player on the team.

To be perfectly fair, I could see them playing the long game on this one, which isn't exciting to fans, but for a GM and owner who've been in the game so long and are comfortable in their positions, makes sense. They clearly had a singular target in mind (Kemba), with Wright as backup as the primary targets in FA. Failing that, they may have had a longer term outlook in mind. That being they weren't willing to spend what it would take to bring in any of the other mid tier guys that were even willing to consider Dallas, having likely scoped out contract requirements. They obviously understand that the player/s they choose to spend money on, could lock them in a spot once Luka starts his second contract. So obviously who they decide to use that money on is an important decision.

That longer term outlook being that they understand that there is no incentive for good/great players to want to join a 33 win team lead by a rookie Luka Doncic. There is however, significant incentive for a player to want to join an all star caliber Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis that is able to make the playoffs. There is even more incentive to want to join a playoff team lead by an MVP caliber Luka Doncic (which I would certainly not envisage anyone in the Mavs FO anticipating at this stage). And while this FA class is nothing like last season, it does have plenty of players that sit in that mid tier caliber of player you are saying we should have gone after last year. Though 2021 is more the class I think Donnie has really been eyeing the entire time. If they feel strongly about their chances of getting someone difference making that class (ahem, Greek Freek..), they are only going to bring in players that don't jeapordize their flexibility cap wise for that off season, which obviously limits their options. That would also give two seasons for Luka to dominate (which they probably thought it would take minimum for Luka to even approach the level at which he's currently playing), and KP to hopefully return to form, with some playoff runs giving max incentive to attract that third guy that takes them over the top. They know they can afford to wait for their guy/s, because the age of Luka and KP give them a pretty massive window to make sure they construct the best roster possible to have long term success. I don't think they were thinking that they need to get the last 1 or 2 pieces to try and finish the roster to contend ASAP. They are being more patient with it (which obviously as fans, we wanna put it all together right now).

All hypothetical of course, but Donnie is a very competent GM, so it's something that seems pretty feasible.