Trade & Free Agency 2026/2027

[Mavs2021]

The way of message boards.  There is obviously a homeristic component to message boards so truth probably leans closer to the negative views.

I think it´s crazy to suggest that Gafford/Washington/Klay should be a straight swap for Butler. That´s three players that turn their bench from the worst in the West to arguably the best, while giving up a 37 year old with a torn ACL on an expiring contract. That trade gives the Warriors a fighting chance. Without the trade they are a play-in also ran. 

Now it´s totally plausible the Warriors owner has decided to let Steph die the Cuban way and is already focused on the future. But that does not concern M&M. If they want a fighting chance we have one of the best packages to offer in terms of depth, age and the Klay feel good factor. That is worth Yaxel or future 1sts.

[Chicagojk]

League sources say Watson, like Detroit's Jalen Duren, has been weighing the unappealing prospect of playing out the 2026-27 season on a qualifying offer with the intent to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Actually, doing so, mind you, means leaving millions on the table.

marcstein.substack.com

This needs to be posturing to try to increase the contract.   Deadlines makes deals.   Duren has made less than 20 million so far in the NBA.  The Pistons offer is lower than he wants but is he really going to turn down 30-35 million per year?  Sign it and then if he is pissed he can leave in a few years.   I just don't get walking away from generational money...even if it is a little lower than you want.

Peyton Watson may be different.  If he is only being offered 4 for 70ish from Denver.  Maybe you gamble on yourself is no sign and trade presents itself.

[Chicagojk]

Dundon is Cuban's spirit animal with less money......


Per Chris Mannix:
"Dundon has some wild ideas. Somebody told me recently that he was asking some personnel about why Christian Wood was no longer in the NBA. Because he looks at the numbers that Christian Wood has put up and sees like a guy that could potentially, you know, in Dallas he was like nearly a double-double guy. He will give you numbers. But the reality is as you and I both know, Christian Wood is just proven to be not a winning player. That is the kind of stuff where you need people in your front office that kind of tell you like, nah, that ain't it.

[mvossman]

I don't know what that means, but when it happens, I hope it doesn't hurt!!

Oh it will hurt.  Its a game of thrones reference to a character voluntarily stepping of a ledge to their death.

[Mavs2021]

Dundon is Cuban's spirit animal with less money......


Per Chris Mannix:
"Dundon has some wild ideas. Somebody told me recently that he was asking some personnel about why Christian Wood was no longer in the NBA. Because he looks at the numbers that Christian Wood has put up and sees like a guy that could potentially, you know, in Dallas he was like nearly a double-double guy. He will give you numbers. But the reality is as you and I both know, Christian Wood is just proven to be not a winning player. That is the kind of stuff where you need people in your front office that kind of tell you like, nah, that ain't it.

Eh I call BS. Just somebody that is rightfully upset feeding Mannix some alleged dirt. Realistically the guy has been one of the most successful sports owners in North America over the last decade, but he is supposed to be a total doofus? He´s clearly a cheap bastard trying to exploit the existing system, and part of that is a good old fashioned shameless stadium/arena extortion.

[mvossman]

I think it´s crazy to suggest that Gafford/Washington/Klay should be a straight swap for Butler. That´s three players that turn their bench from the worst in the West to arguably the best, while giving up a 37 year old with a torn ACL on an expiring contract. That trade gives the Warriors a fighting chance. Without the trade they are a play-in also ran. 

Now it´s totally plausible the Warriors owner has decided to let Steph die the Cuban way and is already focused on the future. But that does not concern M&M. If they want a fighting chance we have one of the best packages to offer in terms of depth, age and the Klay feel good factor. That is worth Yaxel or future 1sts.

There is a huge gap between Yaxel or two first and straight swap.  I never said straight swap, but its probably closer to that than two firsts.  60 mil in in contracts is a very expensive way to upgrade your bench.  I don't see that moving the needle enough for them to be desperate enough to give up crazy value.  

Personally I think the Jrue Holiday trade makes more sense for both teams.  I would pull that trigger if Mavs can get some decent draft capital.

[mvossman]

One way of solving my concern about PJ's fit in GSW is to send him to NOP and Murphy to Golden State.  Murphy/Gafford/Klay make much more sense for the Warriors.

I'd want to add Martin to the outgoing PJ and take back expiring  Jordan Hawkins (another reclamation project on a short term deal?).  GSW gets Klay, Gafford and Murphy and NO gets PJ, Martin and unfortunately most of the outgoing draft compensation from GSW.  So, Dallas gets two expiring contracts (though, I could also see Hawkins to GSW and Moody to Dallas).

That is a trade that would make some sense.  No interest in Hawkins but would love Moody.

[F Gump]

The Warriors are at 11 roster spots with the Melton signing. They're reportedly bringing back Green at ~$28M. That would get them to 12 of the minimum 14 and only ~$8M below A2.

They need a miracle to be competitive. A consolidation trade with good players for their injured ones would need to include significant draft capital...

PJ+Gafford+Klay+Martin for Butler adds $7.7M to GS cap, keeping them just below A2 once they resign Green, and getting them to 15 roster spots.

" PJ+Gafford+Klay+Martin for Butler adds $7.7M to GS cap, keeping them just below A2"

Does the math and the swap make more sense if you add Yaxel (6.1M)? Mavs would then get one less FRP, presumably, but GS is getting 3 C/F types and making it hard for Yaxel to get minutes to play anyhow. 

GS ends up more than TxMLE amount below A2, with one roster slot available to be able to use it.

In DAL, Yaxel ends up playing for May again, which fits on multiple levels. With PJW-Gaff-Martin all outgoing, there are minutes opened for him to play. Could the Mavs have been planning on Yaxel for weeks?

PJ+Gafford+Klay+Martin 
for 
Butler + Yaxel + FRP 

GS gets veterans who can contribute NOW towards a final push for a title with Steph (and all might seem to have multiple years of usefulness, with PJ, Gaff, and Martin all in their prime).

One more intriguing point. If you are wondering why a DAL-GS trade hasn't already happened, the inclusion of Yaxel would mean the deal cannot be done until Aug 1 (he has a no-trade until then). Maybe this has been on the burner for weeks already, with GS hoping for LBJ to be slotted into the MLE. 

End result for DAL would solve the roster crunch, with a space left leftover (for DP perhaps, in light of the suddenly-emerging chatter), and Mavs after refilling that spot will end up about 2M below the tax line.

EDITED TO ADD - I was way behind the conversation when I replied to what had been written, and now that I have caught up, I see that what I wrote here has already all been noted. Just consider this my obvious agreement of what makes imo way more sense to motivate a GS-Butler multi-player trade. Yaxel being reunited with May, rather than the Mavs waiting for a FRP somewhere down the road, it just seems like the right idea.

[OBX Maverick]

Oh God, please no!

https://x.com/mavs_ffl/status/2081742644200243455?s=46&t=mX3Z6eiAc7ISTBsXmYJkNA

[cow]

Oh God, please no!

https://x.com/mavs_ffl/status/2081742644200243455?s=46&t=mX3Z6eiAc7ISTBsXmYJkNA

Just make him an assistant.

[Smitty]

" PJ+Gafford+Klay+Martin for Butler adds $7.7M to GS cap, keeping them just below A2"

Does the math and the swap make more sense if you add Yaxel (6.1M)? Mavs would then get one less FRP, presumably, but GS is getting 3 C/F types and making it hard for Yaxel to get minutes to play anyhow. 

GS ends up more than TxMLE amount below A2, with one roster slot available to be able to use it.

In DAL, Yaxel ends up playing for May again, which fits on multiple levels. With PJW-Gaff-Martin all outgoing, there are minutes opened for him to play. Could the Mavs have been planning on Yaxel for weeks?

PJ+Gafford+Klay+Martin 
for 
Butler + Yaxel + FRP 

GS gets veterans who can contribute NOW towards a final push for a title with Steph (and all might seem to have multiple years of usefulness, with PJ, Gaff, and Martin all in their prime).

One more intriguing point. If you are wondering why a DAL-GS trade hasn't already happened, the inclusion of Yaxel would mean the deal cannot be done until Aug 1 (he has a no-trade until then). Maybe this has been on the burner for weeks already, with GS hoping for LBJ to be slotted into the MLE. 

End result for DAL would solve the roster crunch, with a space left leftover (for DP perhaps, in light of the suddenly-emerging chatter), and Mavs after refilling that spot will end up about 2M below the tax line.

EDITED TO ADD - I was way behind the conversation when I replied to what had been written, and now that I have caught up, I see that what I wrote here has already all been noted. Just consider this my obvious agreement of what makes imo way more sense to motivate a GS-Butler multi-player trade. Yaxel being reunited with May, rather than the Mavs waiting for a FRP somewhere down the road, it just seems like the right idea.

Yes, we had some back n forth on this idea already. The trade would look like this:

   


The Mavs would be ~$3.9M below the tax line and have one open roster spot. Powell? Seva? Someone else?

Maybe you include Naji's expiring (more useful player), instead of Martin, to get it over the finish line? Only a difference of ~$600k for cap purposes, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things. It would be all your Vet assets outgoing in one deal. Netting Yaxel, a big expiring in Butler for use at the TDL(?), and a FRP in a draft where you don't own one (unless Top-2).

[cow]

Maybe you include Naji's expiring (more useful player)....

I'd support this.

[F Gump]

The Mavs would be ~$3.9M below the tax line and have one open roster spot. Powell? Seva? Someone else?

Maybe you include Naji's expiring (more useful player), instead of Martin, to get it over the finish line? Only a difference of ~$600k for cap purposes, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things. It would be all your Vet assets outgoing in one deal. Netting Yaxel, a big expiring in Butler for use at the TDL(?), and a FRP in a draft where you don't own one (unless Top-2).

" It would be all your Vet assets outgoing in one deal."

When you put it that way, I second-guess the idea, wondering if that would be TOO MUCH youth, and not enough guys with NBA skills to set the tone. But to speak to your specific idea, Naji instead of Martin is okay to me.

"FRP in a draft where you don't own one (unless Top-2)"

I would VERY MUCH want to aim for a GS pick in 28, or 32, rather than 27 -- maybe as the adjusted compensation for Naji rather than Martin.

[DanSchwartzgan]

Yes, we had some back n forth on this idea already. The trade would look like this:




The Mavs would be ~$3.9M below the tax line and have one open roster spot. Powell? Seva? Someone else?

Maybe you include Naji's expiring (more useful player), instead of Martin, to get it over the finish line? Only a difference of ~$600k for cap purposes, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things. It would be all your Vet assets outgoing in one deal. Netting Yaxel, a big expiring in Butler for use at the TDL(?), and a FRP in a draft where you don't own one (unless Top-2).

Martin has unlikely bonuses which matter to a team fighting apron issues.  So, Naji instead makes sense from that standpoint.  Between the August 1st thing for Yaxel and how neatly this fits under the tax (when you add back to 15 players), this all makes some sense.

[Jmaciscool]

Personally I think there's a 0% chance GS gives up Yaxel in a trade, which also happens to be the same percentage I gave to LeBron going to Philly, Luka ever being traded, and Rondo not working out for the Mavs.

[Scott41theMavs]

It's way too much.  Yaxel is worth way more than PJ due to age and contract.   Gafford + Klay is just to pay for Martin dump and Butler is a potential expiring asset at the deadline.  Maybe they can get the 27 with that deal.

Yaxel differs in contract, but not that much in age!!!

[Scott41theMavs]

Martin has unlikely bonuses which matter to a team fighting apron issues.  So, Naji instead makes sense from that standpoint.  Between the August 1st thing for Yaxel and how neatly this fits under the tax (when you add back to 15 players), this all makes some sense.

I would be pretty annoyed if the Mavs were to do a deal like this… and still had that confounded Martin on contract and roster with no easy way to get rid of him. That’s like preparing your house for a dinner party but sweeping your dead cat’s putrid corpse into the corner and wondering what stinks.

That analogy particularly fits considering that he’s one of the final reminders of Nico’s atrocities.

[Smitty]

Personally I think there's a 0% chance GS gives up Yaxel in a trade, which also happens to be the same percentage I gave to LeBron going to Philly, Luka ever being traded, and Rondo not working out for the Mavs.

I think the whole fantasy trade with GS sits around zero percent of happening. Yaxel or no Yaxel. Interesting to think about and discuss. The most likely scenario has always been a Klay buyout. I've said as much before it was ever reported as a possibility.

[cow]

I think the whole fantasy trade with GS sits around zero percent of happening. Yaxel or no Yaxel. Interesting to think about and discuss. The most likely scenario has always been a Klay buyout. I've said as much before it was ever reported as a possibility.

Pretty much.  If I were GSW, I wouldn't give up Yaxel and if I were the Mavs, I wouldn't do the deal unless Yaxel were included.  It's a fun fantasy trade though.

[Chicagojk]

The all sorts of stuff for Jimmy Butler and other stuff just doesn't feel like a Masai move.