Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[F Gump]

Gafford/#9 for Risacher/#8?

Now at least two of the guards are available when you draft.

I may be on an island, but I have no interest whatsoever in Risacher. Whatever deal is made, the asking price is likely to assess him at high value (to reflect "He was the #1 pick!!!!!!!), and the reality is that he's been incredibly mediocre and is going backwards this past season in his development. His salary is also a big chunk ($14M) for his level of play If the price was a giveaway where you are doing ATL a favor by taking his salary off their hands - say, for example, the above deal was TPE/#9 for Ris/#8 - then I might be interested enough to take a wild swing. But that will not be the ask from ATL. 

PASS.

[KillerLeft]

Winning is the draw to most fans.  Even if you're not a real contender, a team fighting for the playoffs is a draw.  A team that's giving up on the season in June is not a draw.

Agreed, and what I''m saying is: you yourself KNOW the team isn't going to win, and have said so. But NOW, you're using "winning" as the alternative to trading Kyrie. See what I mean? 

I know you mean "winning" in a relative way here - I'm not trying to straw man you. I get your point. However, my pushback is that I believe when you experience the reality of just how little "winning" the team is about to do, even with Kyrie, you'll feel differently pretty quickly. This team probably won't win 40 games next season. How much fun could that possibly be? 

Give me the path most likely to bring future 50-win seasons here faster, personally. I admit that it's not as simple as making a binary commitment to the younger players - there's still a ton you'd need to get right that's easy to get wrong, but...idk, I just want to feel like they're about the business of trying. For me, 25-30 wins with the ball in the hands of Brown Jr (for example) is quite a bit more exciting than 35-40 wins with the ball in Kyrie's hands. Someone will inevitably retort with some version of "it doesn't have to be either/or" and that's true, but for me (sorry about making another football reference), if you're going to draft the first round QB, you PLAY the first round QB. That's the exciting move, imho.

[KillerLeft]

Meh

Risacher no longer looks like a promising prospect.  I liked him at one point.  Now he is more like a Josh Green type of guy.  Anyone miss Josh Green?

No, I don't miss Green, but Green CAN play in the playoffs. Gafford can't. I would do Gafford for Risacher straight up, and you're telling me I get to move up a spot for the effort? Where do I sign???

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

I think there's something to be said for making the playoffs. I'd give them a 20-30% chance, so not great. But id at least consider avenues for improving the team instead of giving up in June.

My perspective on this is changing as a I get older. I realized I never signed a lifetime contract with the Mavs. If you're gonna keep putting shitty teams out on the court, I'll find something else to entertain me.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

I think if both were on the open market right now, Gafford would clearly command a bigger contract than Risacher.  Thus, he is valued more by the NBA.  And thus, that's not an appetizing trade.

[Winter]

This draft has a lot of excitement, but my personal feeling is that no draft pick we make in 2026 is going to be all that meaningful in the 2026-2027 season. I expect the Mavs to have at least a couple of new players, Lively and Kyrie back from injury, and a new coach. That's a lot of change. We shouldn't expect a playoff team, but we certainly should be optimistic. It feels like the system is going to be in place to build a real roster - and a roster not built around Luka, AD, or Kyrie.

But that's a team that won't be complete for some time.

Still, an owner with deep pockets, a new GM, and new coach, and a new system built around Flagg is absolutely worth being optinistic about.

[KillerLeft]

I think there's something to be said for making the playoffs.  I'd give them a 20-30% chance, so not great.  But id at least consider avenues for improving the team instead of giving up in June.

My perspective on this is changing as a I get older.  I realized I never signed a lifetime contract with the Mavs.  If you're gonna keep putting shitty teams out on the court, I'll find something else to entertain me.

Oh, I understand your point, that's not the problem. And, it's a GOOD point! 

The difference is I see a 5% chance of making the playoffs, not 20-30%. If I'm right, would that change your outlook some? 

Again, I want to see who the coach is and how draft night goes, but I feel like this team is about to be BAD. Not just "they don't really have a chance to compete, but at least they're playing good basketball and are fun to watch," just plain, old BAD. Maybe that's the disconnect. I don't think there's much to give up.

[cow]

Hey, 80% and 120% averages to 100%! Lol

I think the general consensus on here has been that a trade now wouldn't necessarily get back full value. Whereas, if he plays well, he'd be the "Darling of the Deadline".

I'm a cow, not a mathematician. 

I'd trade Kyrie before the season, but only at 100%+ value.  I'll only take pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters on the dollar after I see him play in a diminished state.  Is that a gamble?  Sure.  But even in a diminished capacity, he's still WAY better than what we rolled out last year and I'm perfectly comfortable having him basketball mentor who we draft at #9 should that be a guard.  Without Kyrie and short of returning a starting level PG for him, this is a 30 win team with no incentive to be bad.  The Giannis shoe needs to drop first anyway.

[mvossman]

Meh

Risacher no longer looks like a promising prospect.  I liked him at one point.  Now he is more like a Josh Green type of guy.  Anyone miss Josh Green?

Josh Green is an interesting comp.  My biggest issue with Josh Green is that he wouldn't pull the trigger.  Across his first two seasons he averaged less than one 3 point attempt a game.  Risacher has averaged over 4, and he is a year younger than Green was.  If you are telling me Risacher is a taller Josh Green willing to shoot, then I'm in.

[mvossman]

I think if both were on the open market right now, Gafford would clearly command a bigger contract than Risacher.  Thus, he is valued more by the NBA.  And thus, that's not an appetizing trade.

This might be true, but for a rebuilding team I would much rather have Risacher than Gafford.  I would be happy to do that trade straight up.

[mvossman]

Oh, I understand your point, that's not the problem. And, it's a GOOD point! 

The difference is I see a 5% chance of making the playoffs, not 20-30%. If I'm right, would that change your outlook some? 

Again, I want to see who the coach is and how draft night goes, but I feel like this team is about to be BAD. Not just "they don't really have a chance to compete, but at least they're playing good basketball and are fun to watch," just plain, old BAD. Maybe that's the disconnect. I don't think there's much to give up.

You might actually be more negative than me.  I think if they simply run it back they have a reasonable chance of making the play-in.  With a healthy Kyrie, Flagg improvement, #9 pick, fully engaged PJ, healthy Lively (fingers crossed) and a good MLE signing (Coby White?) the product on the floor should be a huge upgrade over the shit show we just watched.  The problem is there is a massive difference between a play-in team and a team capable of competing with OKC or SA in a playoff series.

[KillerLeft]

You might actually be more negative than me.  I think if they simply run it back they have a reasonable chance of making the play-in.  With a healthy Kyrie, Flagg improvement, #9 pick, fully engaged PJ, healthy Lively (fingers crossed) and a good MLE signing (Coby White?) the product on the floor should be a huge upgrade over the shit show we just watched.  The problem is there is a massive difference between a play-in team and a team capable of competing with OKC or SA in a playoff series.

Well, like I said: let's see who the coach is and how draft night goes.

[DanSchwartzgan]

I'd say yes so hard they'd rethink the offer.

You may not appreciate this part, but then you trade 8 for 12, 17 and Isaiah Joe.  Draft Morez Johnson and Okorie.

OKC may not want to just get 9, but Atlanta doesn't want to trade to 12.  So, the double swap gets OKC far enough up the board to get what they want.  Atlanta gets a center for just moving back one slot.  Dallas gets all sorts of youth and a bench shooter for after they buy out Klay.

Lively, Johnson, Cisse
Flagg, Naji
PJ/Risacher,Martin
Christie, Joe, Johnson
Irving, Okorie, Nembhart

[KillerLeft]

You may not appreciate this part, but then you trade 8 for 12, 17 and Isaiah Joe.  Draft Morez Johnson and Okorie.

OKC may not want to just get 9, but Atlanta doesn't want to trade to 12.  So, the double swap gets OKC far enough up the board to get what they want.  Atlanta gets a center for just moving back one slot.  Dallas gets all sorts of youth and a bench shooter for after they buy out Klay.

Lively, Johnson, Cisse
Flagg, Naji
PJ/Risacher,Martin
Christie, Joe, Johnson
Irving, Okorie, Nembhart

Not interested in that part. I'd rather have the guy left at #8 (or #9, for that matter) than either or both of Johnson/Okorie.

[mvossman]

Not interested in that part. I'd rather have the guy left at #8 (or #9, for that matter) than either or both of Johnson/Okorie.

I have no interest in trading back because you don't know who will be there, but if I knew it would be Johnson/Okorie I would pull that trigger in a heartbeat.

[Mavs2021]

I think you hit on something that I’ve been trying to say but failed to convey. I would MUCH rather trade those good but maybe I’ll fitting vets for other good players. 
Trading Naji, PJ, Gafford, Klay, Kyrie, etc. for draft picks is absolutely no guarantee that you get a good player with that pick. It could just as easily set you back with a ‘bust’. 

I think that’s why I’ve been against any proposed Kyrie trade so far. The closest one that was tolerable was the unrealistic Minnesota one with Naz, Ayo, Divincenzo, ‘33 FRP coming back because you get 3 proven, really good players in the deal, plus the lottery ticket. 

Those are the type of trades I prefer for really any of the guys that are talked about here.

DiVincenzo will be 30 before he steps on a basketball court again after the worst basketall injury. The others turn 27 fairly soon. All three are proven to be 6th man type of players, one making 25M/year. We are already sorted with these type of players. This is like setting up for Dirk 2011-2018, when you needed a Giannis and you got a Parsons, Monte, Kaman, Jefferson, Nelson, Carter, Aminu etc.

[Mavs2021]

No, I don't miss Green, but Green CAN play in the playoffs. Gafford can't. I would do Gafford for Risacher straight up, and you're telling me I get to move up a spot for the effort? Where do I sign???

Gafford been in the play-offs twice, started 24 of 27 games, but uh he was unplayable against the NBA champions. Cause Josh Green was so playable averaging 4 pts with his run around defense.

[Luka77]

Does Kingston Flemmings remind anyone of Devin Harris?

[Smitty]

DiVincenzo will be 30 before he steps on a basketball court again after the worst basketall injury. The others turn 27 fairly soon. All three are proven to be 6th man type of players, one making 25M/year. We are already sorted with these type of players. This is like setting up for Dirk 2011-2018, when you needed a Giannis and you got a Parsons, Monte, Kaman, Jefferson, Nelson, Carter, Aminu etc.

I don't agree with really anything you've said here but it does go to my overall point... There hasn't been one Kyrie trade floated that we'd consider a no-brainer. That's why I can't get on the "trade Kyrie" train with the rest of my fellow posters.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

As part of a looming Giannis deal that is expected to happen this offseason, the Bucks are also exploring possible ways to include both Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis. "The Bucks are also looking to potentially offload Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis’ salaries in a potential Giannis deal, so there are a lot of balls in the air for them," NBA Insider Jake Fischer said in his latest updates for Bleacher Report.

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