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

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Kuminga and Mathurin do make sense as guys that you could take a look at. They'd be the second option behind Flagg for two months. See if something clicks. If you don't see what you like, they're not on the books next year.

As the primary return in a trade with the idea they're part of the future, I don't like them.

[mvossman]

Kuminga and Mathurin do make sense as guys that you could take a look at.  They'd be the second option behind Flagg for two months.  See if something clicks.  If you don't see what you like, they're not on the books next year.

As the primary return in a trade with the idea they're part of the future, I don't like them.

That's the problem, in both cases their current team expects assets back.  You can make a much better case for Mathurin but in both cases if the alternative is a late 26 pick, I would rather go with that.

[Mavs2021]

That's the problem, in both cases their current team expects assets back.  You can make a much better case for Mathurin but in both cases if the alternative is a late 26 pick, I would rather go with that.

I think that is implied. Basically you can have any of Klay, Hardy, Powell, Martin, Williams, DAR. That´s where it stops.

[Dirknows]

That's the problem, in both cases their current team expects assets back.  You can make a much better case for Mathurin but in both cases if the alternative is a late 26 pick, I would rather go with that.

I get everyone wants draft capital, but what are the chances a pick in the 20’s becomes as good as Mathurin? I don’t love him but we just dumped our last pick in the 20’s in OMax.

[Mavs2021]

I get everyone wants draft capital, but what are the chances a pick in the 20’s becomes as good as Mathurin? I don’t love him but we just dumped our last pick in the 20’s in OMax.

Also makes 10% of Mathurin. I can see the point in Mathurin, if you then decided to move on from Christie for draft capital in the future. Both on $20-25M together are redundant.

[mvossman]

I get everyone wants draft capital, but what are the chances a pick in the 20’s becomes as good as Mathurin? I don’t love him but we just dumped our last pick in the 20’s in OMax.

Different drafts and different guy making the picks.

If you look at Mavs last 5 guys drafted out of the lottery or early second round they have Omax, Hardy, Terry, Green and Brunson.  Not much from the first 4 but Brunson was a massive home run.  I would take a 20% chance to get an elite creator.

Just looking at the Josh Green draft, most folks around here wanted to draft Bey, Bane or Maxy (I don't remember anybody being interested in Green).  Not a good sign when random bloggers do a better than the FO.  Hopefully whoever is running this next draft will have some idea of what they are doing.

The thing with draft picks that a lot are busts, especially non lottery picks.  But sometimes you hit, and sometimes big.  Its an odds game (although good FOs have much better odds).  The best way to play the odds is to take as many shots as you can.

[Jakeospikez]

Mathurin could be worth taking a flyer on. Indy doesn't need him since they hit on Nembhard. He won't start over Haliburton/Nembhard/Nesmith and they won't pay him to be a backup. If the Mavs think he can be a starting wing here then they should go for him.

[KillerLeft]

Mathurin could be worth taking a flyer on. Indy doesn't need him since they hit on Nembhard. He won't start over Haliburton/Nembhard/Nesmith and they won't pay him to be a backup. If the Mavs think he can be a starting wing here then they should go for him.

This is how I feel, too. I'm nowhere near as warm and fuzzy as I am about Risacher's potential fit, or as confident as I was the year before last about how well PJW would fit here, but I do think this is the type of gamble they'll need to take. Everyone wants the team to get younger, but they can't all be blue chip top-5 Cooper Flagg sure things. As some point, a GM needs to have a vision for a young player who's stuck behind other guys but who might flourish if presented with the right opportunity in the right situation. No idea if that's Mathurin or not, but he sure impressed me as a rookie - way more than Kuminga ever did, that's for sure.

[DanSchwartzgan]

I was playing around with Toronto ideas.  One word of caution, Barrett has a huge $3+mm Unlikely Incentive that counts against the apron.  So, you can't assume you've got a legal deal if you are doing your own spreadsheet unless you have that.

GSW can't take back more money for Kuminga and have been rumored to be interested in C's.  Vucevic and Poeltl are two C's who make just a little under what Kuminga makes.  There is a pretty clean version of AD to Chicago where Vuc goes to GSW and Kuminga, Collins and White end up in Dallas.  Hardy and Powell go to Chicago with the Bulls staying under the tax.  Easy enough to sub Huerter for Collins and D'Lo for Hardy if you like.

[michaeltex]

Listening to NBA Radio during the morning drive and Scalabrine was making the point that it's hard to judge Kuminga's potential since the only data is on GSW which runs a one-off, Curry centered offense. He speculates that playing in a more conventional system where on court decisions are not controlled by the actions of one player might unlock Kuminga's true potential.

Just tossing it out there.

[mvossman]

Listening to NBA Radio during the morning drive and Scalabrine was making the point that it's hard to judge Kuminga's potential since the only data is on GSW which runs a one-off, Curry centered offense. He speculates that playing in a more conventional system where on court decisions are not controlled by the actions of one player might unlock Kuminga's true potential.

Just tossing it out there.

The problem is that he operates primarily in the paint.  I think the focus should be generating more space so Flagg can do that.  Getting another PF that likes to operate in the same space (and he actually needs to be closer to the basket as he is not good from midrange) seems counterproductive.

[DallasMaverick]

Listening to NBA Radio during the morning drive and Scalabrine was making the point that it's hard to judge Kuminga's potential since the only data is on GSW which runs a one-off, Curry centered offense. He speculates that playing in a more conventional system where on court decisions are not controlled by the actions of one player might unlock Kuminga's true potential.

Just tossing it out there.

Sounds like he needs to play with Luka.

[Smitty]

I was playing around with Toronto ideas.  One word of caution, Barrett has a huge $3+mm Unlikely Incentive that counts against the apron.  So, you can't assume you've got a legal deal if you are doing your own spreadsheet unless you have that.

That's actually a big deal. Good catch. Quickley also has a $2.5M ULTBE. Poeltl has one also but only $500K. Martin already has a $1.3M ULTBE that counts against the Apron next year, but I think he's needed in a TOR deal if it's Quickley instead of Poeltl.

Working with those numbers, the only realistic trade that includes IQ+RJ is them adding Agbaji. Mavs would need to send back AD, Martin, DLO, BWill OR Exum.

Toronto's Roster looks like this after:

Shead | DLO | BWill
Barnes | Walter | Dick | Temple
Ingram | Martin | Battle
CMB | Mogbo
Davis | Poeltl | Sandro



If you were to make an AD trade with TOR for Barrett+Quickley, without a 3rd team involved, you'd go into next season maybe needing to trade back in the draft, if you're in the 7-8 spot, or make additional trades in the summer to avoid A2. You also might not want a TOR FRP this year, but instead '27, where you currently have none.


Irving | Quickley | Nembhard*
Max | Klay | Hardy
Barrett | Naji | FRP
Flagg | PJW
Lively | Gafford | Cisse*

*Converted Nembhard and Cisse to full roster.

You are right at the second apron with only 14 roster spots. (assuming ~$8M for FRP slot #7)


Edit: There's a simpler version that works but hurts the Mavs even more financially next year. RJ+IQ for Davis+DLO+Hardy

[Smitty]

@TheDunkCentral
The Clippers have discussed a trade that would land them DeMar DeRozan and Keon Ellis in exchange for John Collins, per @MikeAScotto

“In fact, the Kings had exploratory conversations on a trade involving DeRozan and Ellis for Clippers forward John Collins and another small salary filler before the Clippers won 11 of their past 13 games, league sources told HoopsHype.”

[KillerLeft]

This is off topic a little, but I feel the need to go on record. I haven't done as much of a dive into this draft class as many of you, and I get that there might be some transformative talent at the forward spots near the top of the class, but...I keep seeing people pencil in FRP at forward spots. I just want to say that unless there's a trade lined up for Dylan Harper, Haliburton or whoever (there isn't and won't be), that draft pick 100% MUST be used on a PG to my way of thinking. Maybe they can get a PG some other way, but the Mavericks MUST come out of this summer with one who is fairly close to Flagg's age, imho. This team won't offer an ounce of hope for me if that doesn't happen.

Kyrie is awesome, and I'm ok with him sticking around for a while if that's the plan, but that young ball-handler is THE piece that's missing if you want to build a team around Flagg. Everything else will be easy to find by comparison.

[Smitty]

This is off topic a little, but I feel the need to go on record. I haven't done as much of a dive into this draft class as many of you, and I get that there might be some transformative talent at the forward spots near the top of the class, but...I keep seeing people pencil in FRP at forward spots. I just want to say that unless there's a trade lined up for Dylan Harper, Haliburton or whoever (there isn't and won't be), that draft pick 100% MUST be used on a PG to my way of thinking. Maybe they can get a PG some other way, but the Mavericks MUST come out of this summer with one who is fairly close to Flagg's age, imho. This team won't offer an ounce of hope for me if that doesn't happen.

Kyrie is awesome, and I'm ok with him sticking around for a while if that's the plan, but that young ball-handler is THE piece that's missing if you want to build a team around Flagg. Everything else will be easy to find by comparison.

In my most recent post, I only added it there to make the depth chart symmetrical . I definitely think the Mavs will target a Guard in the top 10, but I don't think they HAVE to draft one.

[cow]

Draft BPA. If that's a PG, great, if not, there is a lot of road ahead before this team is a contender.

[Chicagojk]

This is off topic a little, but I feel the need to go on record. I haven't done as much of a dive into this draft class as many of you, and I get that there might be some transformative talent at the forward spots near the top of the class, but...I keep seeing people pencil in FRP at forward spots. I just want to say that unless there's a trade lined up for Dylan Harper, Haliburton or whoever (there isn't and won't be), that draft pick 100% MUST be used on a PG to my way of thinking. Maybe they can get a PG some other way, but the Mavericks MUST come out of this summer with one who is fairly close to Flagg's age, imho. This team won't offer an ounce of hope for me if that doesn't happen.

Kyrie is awesome, and I'm ok with him sticking around for a while if that's the plan, but that young ball-handler is THE piece that's missing if you want to build a team around Flagg. Everything else will be easy to find by comparison.

I am BPA, but in your above I would change it to a guard who can create and shoot over a point guard.  In fact, in the prospects I have looked at, I lower prospects who I feel are solely point guards.  Flagg is going to be the main hub in time.   For a bit, Kyrie is going to be on the court a bunch.   I am high on Nembhard and I think he fits as your sole back up point guard.   If they draft a guard, I want one who has good size, can create and space the floor.  My favorite position is the true point guard, but you have seen the last few years teams are getting away from the one true floor general type.   As far as who, I am not sure.   It is one of the reasons I like the potential of Brown Jr. from Louisville.   Good size, really good speed, was billed as a shooter entering college and could play with another guard or run the team for a bit.

[GermanMav]

What i, for now, don't like with the Raptors deal, is that it makes us a lot better for now. We should really try to stay at least in that 7th or 8th spot. RJ and Quickley make our starting 5 much better this season which makes the tank more complicated.

[Winter]

This is off topic a little, but I feel the need to go on record. I haven't done as much of a dive into this draft class as many of you, and I get that there might be some transformative talent at the forward spots near the top of the class, but...I keep seeing people pencil in FRP at forward spots. I just want to say that unless there's a trade lined up for Dylan Harper, Haliburton or whoever (there isn't and won't be), that draft pick 100% MUST be used on a PG to my way of thinking. Maybe they can get a PG some other way, but the Mavericks MUST come out of this summer with one who is fairly close to Flagg's age, imho. This team won't offer an ounce of hope for me if that doesn't happen.

Kyrie is awesome, and I'm ok with him sticking around for a while if that's the plan, but that young ball-handler is THE piece that's missing if you want to build a team around Flagg. Everything else will be easy to find by comparison.

It's possible that the four best PGs in the top of the draft (Peterson, Kingston, Brown, and Acuff) could be gone before the Mavs pick. Acuff has actually moved ahead of Brown on some mock drafts. If a PG is available, it will be one of them - either Acuff of Brown. But after these picks, there's a real gap in talent according to most analysts. 

There are also a couple of real wildcards at the center position that still have to play out. Quaintance at Kentucky has had injuries, but he looks like Dwight Howard when he plays. He's a rebounding machine. Also Cenac at Houston who has had an uneven year, but can play all over the court.

There are also some great small forward types that will likely be there when we pick (Braylon Mullins who shoots lights out, and Yaxel Lindeborg who can play at both forward positions, and Keaton Wagler who is a play-making SG guard, but currently not playing PG for Illinois).

But to your personal wish list, the next real PG in the draft is Labaron Philon at Alabama. He may go somewhere in the top 10 or may slip to around 15 or so. So it's possible that the best talent available when the Mavs pick may not be a PG. 

If the PGs I listed are gone, I personally would take one of those G-SF types I mentioned rather than look for a PG farther down the list just because he's a PG.