2019-2020 Mavs Trade Discussion + Salary Chart

[Mavsfan12]

Are the Dallas Mavericks really an all in team already? It's not like we have this championship window that is closing. We don't really know how good we are until the end of the regular season and/or postseason. 

There is a lot of ground to plow between “all-in” and “can’t wait until 2021”.  You probably need a more nuanced term to describe what people are actually saying.

Where are we?  It appears to me we are second tier among the west playoff teams (4-6). Seems the Laker/Clipper/Nugget tier is a bit stronger than the Rocket/Maverick/Jazz tier (despite the fact Dallas beat Denver and came really close to beating the Lakers).  To your other point, it certainly could get better if/when KP starts to find his offensive rhythm.

I’m not in favor of trading assets for 36 year old rentals, but based on what I’ve seen so far, I wouldn’t hesitate to use 2021 space for the right guy.  I would hesitate to use the GS 2nd or our 2020 first (this summer) for the right guy.  Brunson?  Jackson?  Sure...for the right guy.   So, who is the right guy?  I’m not saying he has to necessarily be a 3rd star.  I’d be pretty happy if we could just get a clear upgrade at one starting position (probably the DFS spot or the Powell spot) and move the upgraded guy to the bench (as both have proven to be valuable contributors there in the past).

Exactly this...  there are plenty of trades that could potentially be made that keep options open for the future and upgrade the present.  Upgrading Powell in the starting lineup would be my preference and there are quite a few options out there on non-playoff teams that could make sense.  The Love/CP3 deals, where we take on an aging player that guarantees to take us out of the 21 FA class is a hard pass from me.  Also, Love's fit on this team is really bad, imo.  He is not a rim threat.  He is not a defensive presence.  Our offense is already elite.  What exactly would we be accomplishing by bringing him in? Is he a better player than Powell?  Yes.  Does he actually fill the need that we are wanting to fill?  Not really.  We need a defensively versatile/rebounding/shot blocking player who can rim run.  Stretching the floor would be an added bonus!

Someone threw out the Bogdan/Thompson combo in separate trades.  Given what they were offering to give up, the Mavs do that in a second.   Don't think that EITHER CLE/SAC do those trades as proposed.  Particularly not SAC.  I think that CLE will trade Thompson.

THJ's re-emergence - specifically as a starter - limits our salary matching ability and positional need.  He and DFS are actually getting the job done on the wing right now.  I view OPJ as an upgrade there - when healthy (and as an asset that fills almost all of the organizational goals I would have).  Since it would almost certainly take THJ to make that happen, I would think that the Mavs would have to make a decision based on what they view as THJ's long term value prognosis.  If they view this as a sell-high moment, I am sure we will see a trade soon. (not specifically that one, but SOME trade - his value hasn't been this high in a long time).  This is a buy-low moment on OPJ for sure.  

Ultimately, as a fan, my hope would be that they would use assets to help out the front line.  It is clearly the weakest link.  The player they need is pretty much the same player that almost all teams need though.  There are imperfect upgrades, but that guy who can guard in space, block shots, rim run, rebound, and spread the floor is making the ALL-STAR game likely.  haha.  So, I will imagine we get an imperfect upgrade and swing for the fences in '21 - with KP/Doncic as a young core.  So put me in the category of picking up a player who could turn into an asset by then.  Guys like Bogdan/OPJ could be that.  But clogging up that opportunity with an imperfect AND old option seems short-sighted.