MAVS NEWS:

[Mavs2021]

Morez has been limited in the first few days of practice

https://x.com/MikeACurtis2/status/2104627409328775610

No Lively, no Johnson, no Santi. FML we are one Gafford injury away from Dwight being our starting center again.

[DanSchwartzgan]

To me, this feels like an unsaid "we will have room if we can find someone to take Martin, and we are still trying to find that taker." 

While I find DS's idea intriguing, a closer look at DET payroll shows they are not at all in a payroll squeeze. Without Duren, they are only at about 154M incl DR, and adding Duren at 200M still leaves them more than 10M below the tax.

But the dream would be to find some other team who would want CM.

I didn't mention this the other day, but I had a scenario where Robinson was the outgoing from Detroit with Duren needed to match Sabonis - but at an adjusted guarantee rather than his full salary.  He comes here and Martin goes to Sacramento.  It does feel like paying $1.0mm for three weeks work isn't the most likely scenario.  I also don't believe they move on from any of the younger guys.  So, Martin is the logical one, but how?

Right now they need Powell just to run three groups of five in scrimmages with Gafford running first unit in the videos I've seen, Powell with the second unit and Cicce with the babies.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Morez has been limited in the first few days of practice

https://x.com/MikeACurtis2/status/2104627409328775610

"undisclosed" injury

All I'm saying is that Brayden Burries better suck.

[KillerLeft]

"undisclosed" injury

All I'm saying is that Brayden Burries better suck.

I can be patient with injuries - they happen.

What I'm about ready to blow my top over is this: they had BETTER have center in mind for him, because if they drafted him 9th to play the same position both Flagg and PJW should be playing I'm going to go nuclear. 

I think they've got it right, though. It might be wishful thinking, but I bet the undisclosed injury happened just before the decision to sign Powell, which would connect some dots for me. One center goes down just before camp, another one added to the roster. 

But yes, it would also be cool if he's clearly better than Burries, I suppose.

[CooPerFan]

Excited for the upcoming season. I really believe this team will make the play in.

[F Gump]

I didn't mention this the other day, but I had a scenario where Robinson was the outgoing from Detroit with Duren needed to match Sabonis - but at an adjusted guarantee rather than his full salary.  He comes here and Martin goes to Sacramento. 

As a preface, I can't imagine DET would want DS and his 45.5M salary instead of Duren. As a consolation prize of sorts? Even on that level it feels off.

BUT - that trade math really doesn't work to bring a waivable DR to DAL. To match DS --
- Duren at the 41.2m max (minus 50% for BY) 
- plus DR at 15.9M (with a full* gtee) 
Together that just barely matches DS's huge 45.5M contract.

* Technically you could guarantee only 15.5M of DR's 15.9M salary, but that's no longer a contract you would idly slip in the trash in lieu of Powell.

[Knutsen]

No Lively, no Johnson, no Santi. FML we are one Gafford injury away from Dwight being our starting center again.

Some things will never change - death, taxes and Dwight Powell’s face being our last line of defense.

At least Gafford will be stretching the floor now sniping from three!

[DanSchwartzgan]

* Technically you could guarantee only 15.5M of DR's 15.9M salary, but that's no longer a contract you would idly slip in the trash in lieu of Powell.

Remember $19mm plus of Martin is outgoing in such a deal.  So the $15.5mm isn't being thrown away.  The team would be saying Powell at $18mm total cost this year ($15.5mm plus the team part of the vet min) is better than wasting $19mm on Martin and clogging the roster for the next two seasons.  

The Sabonis thing isn't my idea.  It was the only rumored Duren destination until others joined the party yesterday. Depending on the returning salary, Robinson may have to be included. So, this might not be a Robinson versus Martin calculation for Detroit. It might be Martin versus signing someone off the street.

[DanSchwartzgan]

Is anyone else noticing Risacher seems to be running with Flagg and Kyrie in the training camp videos that are out there.  I realize it is early days and probably means nothing.  But so far, I've seen PJ and Naji both running with the white unit and ZR running with blue.  

The hard part has been figuring out who the fifth man has been on blue.  One day it was Martin.  But, yesterday both Martin and Christie were running with white as were PJ, Naji and Powell.  Anyway, not much else to talk about, so I thought lineup talk might be of some interest.  

I heard an Atlanta guy say he would start ZR - not that he was necessarily the 4th/5th best player, but that the best version of Risacher might be alongside Flagg and Kyrie.  That way you get the best of what he can do whereas if you put him in the second unit, you are probably asking him to do more scoring and creation.  According to the commentator, that isn't what you want from him.  Just because he starts, if he does, it doesn't mean he's in the closing lineup.

[Winter]

Is anyone else noticing Risacher seems to be running with Flagg and Kyrie in the training camp videos that are out there.  I realize it is early days and probably means nothing.  But so far, I've seen PJ and Naji both running with the white unit and ZR running with blue.  

The hard part has been figuring out who the fifth man has been on blue.  One day it was Martin.  But, yesterday both Martin and Christie were running with white as were PJ, Naji and Powell.  Anyway, not much else to talk about, so I thought lineup talk might be of some interest.  

I heard an Atlanta guy say he would start ZR - not that he was necessarily the 4th/5th best player, but that the best version of Risacher might be alongside Flagg and Kyrie.  That way you get the best of what he can do whereas if you put him in the second unit, you are probably asking him to do more scoring and creation.  According to the commentator, that isn't what you want from him.  Just because he starts, if he does, it doesn't mean he's in the closing lineup.

I recall Coach May discussing 3-man units in a video - trying to find which units play well together. I have just assumed that these units are being switched from time-to-time in order to gather information.

[michaeltex]

On another topic, I saw that Russel was released yesterday and was reminded how much deadwood was unloaded in the trade with the Wiz. AD's albatross contract was moved, but we also dumped Hardy, Russell and Exum, for a few draft picks and a few expiring contracts. Which freed up roster space, cap space and playing time for the team change from a roster nobody believed in to one we are hoping takes a step up this season. So well done for the co-GMs in their interim positions.

OK, back to the 3-man rotation discussion.

[michaeltex]

On another topic, I saw that Russel was released yesterday and was reminded how much deadwood was unloaded in the trade with the Wiz. AD's albatross contract was moved, but we also dumped Hardy, Russell and Exum, for a few draft picks and a few expiring contracts. Which freed up roster space, cap space and playing time for the to team change from a roster nobody believed in to one we are hoping takes a step up this season. So well done for the co-GMs in their interim positions.

OK, back to the 3-man rotation discussion.

[myconsumerclub]

well 9 or 10 days till the Houston preseason game in China. game time will be an issue think they play at 7 am in the morning. Game day is Oct. 9th.

Hope we get to see Morez healthy and contributing by then. Doubt Lively will play but he may look better by then to do some jumping jacks for us as a joke.

Flagg and Kyrie are the core talent that needs to show something if Gafford and Cisse are all we have at center we better show something against the rockets. Flagg and PJ at PF is okay especially with Flagg growing to 6'10". I would use Risacher at SF he has height as well and looks as tall as Cooper in the photos I have seen lately. You use Max and Kyrie in the backcourt while Risacher Cooper and Gafford play the front court.

Now as we learn more about what is slowing Morez and Santi we can hold out more hope of moving Cooper to SF but he should excell equally at PF for now. Those 2 can also help out at the 5 so we are going to see lots of lineup experimentation and you would expect that with a coach that played 3 bigs in college he is probably unable to contain his excitement for all the varied possibilities he can stick out on the court 3 through 5.

[Smitty]

@MavsFilmRoom
Cooper on the city of Dallas:

“Dallas has been amazing. It’s a beautiful city. Incredible people. There’s not much to complain about. I wish it would cool down a little bit, it’s been a very hot summer. That’s my only complaint. And you know what, if that’s what I complain about in the place I live for the rest of my life, I have worse things to worry about.”

[Chicagojk]

On another topic, I saw that Russel was released yesterday and was reminded how much deadwood was unloaded in the trade with the Wiz. AD's albatross contract was moved, but we also dumped Hardy, Russell and Exum, for a few draft picks and a few expiring contracts. Which freed up roster space, cap space and playing time for the to team change from a roster nobody believed in to one we are hoping takes a step up this season. So well done for the co-GMs in their interim positions.

OK, back to the 3-man rotation discussion.

If I were to be honest, i was a little bit more on the side of keeping AD (he was out anyway) and then trying to move him during the offseason.   Looking back, I am not sure his value would have been any higher if they kept him.  I do think he could up his value with a few months of healthy, good play.    

I was more than fine that the added flexibility helped them make several moves this summer.    If you look at what they received back via trade it was pretty much nothing.  Although the flexibility helped them make most of their moves this summer.   Plus I think they still have the MLE (I believe this can be traded too right?).   I was a little surprised when I heard Bill Simmons and zach Lowe (mostly Simmons) trash Dallas for getting nothing back for AD recently.   While that is true, the flexibility did lead to Sergio, Aldama, Sasser, Tarek, Risacher, and full MLE.   Time will tell if any of these guys have staying power, but that trade did open up an avenue so these trades could be made.

[KillerLeft]

If I were to be honest, i was a little bit more on the side of keeping AD (he was out anyway) and then trying to move him during the offseason.   Looking back, I am not sure his value would have been any higher if they kept him.  I do think he could up his value with a few months of healthy, good play.    

I was more than fine that the added flexibility helped them make several moves this summer.    If you look at what they received back via trade it was pretty much nothing.  Although the flexibility helped them make most of their moves this summer.   Plus I think they still have the MLE (I believe this can be traded too right?).   I was a little surprised when I heard Bill Simmons and zach Lowe (mostly Simmons) trash Dallas for getting nothing back for AD recently.   While that is true, the flexibility did lead to Sergio, Aldama, Sasser, Tarek, Risacher, and full MLE.   Time will tell if any of these guys have staying power, but that trade did open up an avenue so these trades could be made.

Absolutely. Not all trades (in fact, fewer and fewer these days) are about the value immediately changing hands. 

The Mavs were able to hand their new front office the keys to an offseason in which they had the ability to do TWO off-seasons' worth of roster turnover, and they attacked that opportunity fairly aggressively. It remains to be seen whether or not the moves made will come together in a helpful way over the next 2-3 seasons, but they had the tools to get started right away, and that's 100% because of the AD trade. I'd bet my life that the trade was at Ujiri's suggestion, and that it was a condition of securing his commitment to the position.