Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[Mavs2021]

Hate to even bring this up (because damn), but...what if they see him as a 3/4? Or even a 4/3? That would make a little sense in the context of the Hachimura rumors. 

Mvossman suggested Smitty switch De Larrea and Bibervic on his roster model above...my instinct was to switch Biberovic and Martin, actually.

You can switch Martin with everybody on the roster, cause his position is permanently glued to the bench. I think Biberovic is a SF,maybe a SG, if he gets in great shape and becomes quicker.

[Winter]

Hate to even bring this up (because damn), but...what if they see him as a 3/4? Or even a 4/3? That would make a little sense in the context of the Hachimura rumors. 

Mvossman suggested Smitty switch De Larrea and Bibervic on his roster model above...my instinct was to switch Biberovic and Martin, actually.

Biberovik's height and his game I think is more suggestive of the SG or SF. They guy is not a big dribble and get-his-own-shot guy. He can get a few assists, but I have to think he'll be used in the rotation like we see him in those videos. He'll hunt for his shot, and there's no need to do much else.

[Scott41theMavs]

I'm curious your theory on the dollar amount.  Rui got $14mm per year which didn't leave anything extra within the exception for Tarik.  Is the idea that Tarik would have had to settle for the BAE if Rui signed?  But since Rui went elsewhere, we will see Tarik get more than the BAE amount?

Hopefully not a Wes-type contract - we’ll see. I’m betting about $7 mil AAV.

[Scott41theMavs]

You can switch Martin with everybody on the roster, cause his position is permanently glued to the bench. 

LOL!!!

[KillerLeft]

I'm curious your theory on the dollar amount.  Rui got $14mm per year which didn't leave anything extra within the exception for Tarik.  Is the idea that Tarik would have had to settle for the BAE if Rui signed?  But since Rui went elsewhere, we will see Tarik get more than the BAE amount?

I think it might have been either/or. Or, perhaps Dallas didn't get Hachimura because they didn't offer the full MLE, and this was used to get LA up to there? 

It's the timing and the overlap in skill that all fits for me. Ultimately, I'm obviously glad things worked out how they did, whether there's any truth to it or not. I'm team "25 and under" all the way to my core.

[Chicagojk]

Just jumping on Schmitty bandwagon but a Marshall/Klay trade or PJ/Klay trade for Jrue balances things out.

Guards

Kyrie
Jrue

Backups- Max, Nemby, Sergio


Wings

Cooper
PJ/Marshall
Santi
Johnson
Tarek

Bigs
Gafford
Lively
(Johnson)


A lot of mix and match lineups you could throw out there.

[Scott41theMavs]

Note: This Tarik report requires the Aldama trade to be completed today or tomorrow. If any of the other teams choose to drag their feet, that might screw things up a bit as to the broader plan.

[DanSchwartzgan]

Hopefully not a Wes-type contract - we’ll see. I’m betting about $7 mil AAV.

That gets close to the reported $2.0 gap in negotiations.  BAE is $5.48/$5.75 for a total of $11.3.  $2.0mm above that would start in the $7.5mm range and would total about $15.4mm.

[KillerLeft]

Biberovik's height and his game I think is more suggestive of the SG or SF. They guy is not a big dribble and get-his-own-shot guy. He can get a few assists, but I have to think he'll be used in the rotation like we see him in those videos. He'll hunt for his shot, and there's no need to do much else.

No argument. 

But that play style works at either forward spot more than it works at SG, imo. I definitely don't think he's a guard, no matter how much weight he loses. SH's Joe Harris comp was a good one, imo.

If the goal is to hold defenders out of the paint, the defenders in question are probably the longer ones, not the smaller ones.

[Smitty]

Hate to even bring this up (because damn), but...what if they see him as a 3/4? Or even a 4/3? That would make a little sense in the context of the Hachimura rumors. 

Mvossman suggested Smitty switch De Larrea and Bibervic on his roster model above...my instinct was to switch Biberovic and Martin, actually.

This is how I view it, as things stand today. The Mavericks will be a team that deploys 5-man linueps with the current structure:

1 Guard - 3 Wings - 1 Big
               OR
1 Guard - 2 Wings - 2 Bigs


What I mean by that is playstyle. With a bit of positional size. I don't view players like Klay or Max as guards, even if they have Shooting Guard next to their name. I do view players like Flagg, Naji, and Sergio as initiator types. Capable ones - not great ones (yet - in Flagg's case). With their size, they'd be labeled a SF, in the traditional sense.

So, to your point I think Tarik can simply be viewed as a Wing.. Which can mean SG-SF-PF in the traditional terminology, depending on who else is on the court.

The obvious theme here so far is shooting and versatility... Playstyle versatility, yes, but more so position(less) versatility.

I think every player on the roster is multiple, except for 3 that are "position" locked in Gafford, Lively, Nembhard.

[Winter]

No argument. 

But that play style works at either forward spot more than it works at SG, imo. I definitely don't think he's a guard, no matter how much weight he loses. 

If the goal is to hold defenders out of the paint, the defenders in question are probably the longer ones, not the smaller ones.

The possibilties are pretty wide it seems. When I think about it, he could sub into the lineup for a lot of people.

I'm curious if you could have a lineup that included Poulikidas at SG and Biberovik at SF (maybe bad defensively but how much fun is that?), then Flagg, Aldama. Johnson. It seems like a frigging Rubik's cube of players.

[DanSchwartzgan]

Ultimately, I'm obviously glad things worked out how they did, whether there's any truth to it or not. I'm team "25 and under" all the way to my core.

Then let's waive Klay and bring back Cisse!

[KillerLeft]

This is how I view it, as things stand today. The Mavericks will be a team that deploys 5-man linueps with the current structure:

1 Guard - 3 Wings - 1 Big
               OR
1 Guard - 2 Wings - 2 Bigs


What I mean by that is playstyle. With a bit of positional size. I don't view players like Klay or Max as guards, even if they have Shooting Guard next to their name. I do view players like Flagg, Naji, and Sergio as initiator types. Capable ones - not great ones (yet - in Flagg's case). With their size, they'd be labeled a SF, in the traditional sense.

So, to your point I think Tarik can simply be viewed as a Wing.. Which can mean SG-SF-PF in the traditional terminology, depending on who else is on the court.

The obvious theme here so far is shooting and versatility... Playstyle versatility, yes, but more so position(less) versatility.

I think every player on the roster is multiple, except for 3 that are "position" locked in Gafford, Lively, Nembhard.

The argument you keep bringing this back to isn't with me, if you think it is. I agree with a lot of what you say above, and in this case I definitely agree as it applies to Biberovic. 

Where I get sideways is when people use the term "positionless" as a logical fix-all to explain away what I consider to be extremely poor skill-set synergy in certain lineups.  
Beberovic's utility is as a a movement shooter, or at least an extremely lethal stand still shooter, and yes, I think this skill can be plugged into the lineup in a wide variety of ways with a wide variety of other players - that's why I wanted them to make this happen. 

But, "postionless" is used by fans who don't understand the organizing principles of basketball far more than it is by by league execs and analysts, who I've observed are using position labels now even more than they were 10 years ago, frankly. When it does get used by real people, I don't think it means "without position," and how could it? Every player must, by definition, be playing a "position" on the court, so...you know...they know where to go and what to do.

[KillerLeft]

Then let's waive Klay and bring back Cisse!

I think that's one way this could all end, honestly. 

Are you serious, or making a joke? I can't tell.

[DanSchwartzgan]

The obvious theme here so far is shooting and versatility... Playstyle versatility, yes, but more so position(less) versatility.
 

I wonder if we are under selling Larry on our depth charts.  Since we didn't pursue any guards (other than possibly Simons), is there a world where he should move up some from where you have him as the third string SG (or creator if you wish)?

I could see them prioritizing him as PG over Sasser and Nembhard.  It is tougher to see them prioritize him at SG with Klay still here. Like you say, Naji might be the main creator for the bench unit which would allow Larry a greater opportunity to be a secondary creator and spacer for that unit.  Naji should look very different driving to the basket with all of the spacing that now seems to be available to the team.

[DanSchwartzgan]

I think that's one way this could all end, honestly. 

Are you serious, or making a joke? I can't tell.

Serious.  I like Cisse and would like him on an NBA contract.

[Smitty]

The argument you keep bringing this back to isn't with me, if you think it is. I agree with a lot of what you say above, and in this case I definitely agree as it applies to Biberovic. 

Where I get sideways is when people use the term "positionless" as a logical fix-all to explain away what I consider to be extremely poor skill-set synergy in certain lineups.  
Beberovic's utility is as a a movement shooter, or at least an extremely lethal stand still shooter, and yes, I think this skill can be plugged into the lineup in a wide variety of ways with a wide variety of other players - that's why I wanted them to make this happen. 

But, "postionless" is used by fans who don't understand the organizing principles of basketball far more than it is by by league execs and analysts, who I've observed are using position labels now even more than they were 10 years ago, frankly. When it does get used by real people, I don't think it means "without position," and how could it? Every player must, by definition, be playing a "position" on the court, so...you know...they know where to go and what to do.

That's on me. I should have just agreed that I also believe Tarik can be thought of/viewed as a 4!

[KillerLeft]

I wonder if we are under selling Larry on our depth charts.  Since we didn't pursue any guards (other than possibly Simons), is there a world where he should move up some from where you have him as the third string SG (or creator if you wish)?

I could see them prioritizing him as PG over Sasser and Nembhard.  It is tougher to see them prioritize him at SG with Klay still here. Like you say, Naji might be the main creator for the bench unit which would allow Larry a greater opportunity to be a secondary creator and spacer for that unit.  Naji should look very different driving to the basket with all of the spacing that now seems to be available to the team.

I have suggested that De Larra's fastest way to find success might be as an off-ball, secondary kind of guy, and I believe he has the stand still shooting percentages and size to slot into a role like that (Christie's backup?) pretty seamlessly. Just speculation on my part. 

But, to your point, he has a 4-year deal, so there's no doubt in my mind they have at least a tentative idea of a long term role for him, and it probably does involve playing on-ball. I think he's going to get opportunities for minutes right away, somehow.

[Winter]

That's on me. I should have just agreed that I also believe Tarik can be thought of/viewed as a 4!

The question there is why put him there if Aldama is also in the rotation?

[KillerLeft]

That's on me. I should have just agreed that I also believe Tarik can be thought of/viewed as a 4!

Yeah, I mean...I think we're saying the same stuff, honestly.