07-16-2022, 11:00 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-16-2022, 11:01 AM by KillerLeft.)
I think the "stripping down" part happens when you have to say goodbye to people like Bullock, Dinwiddie, and Green or you have to renounce cap holds for Wood and/or Kleber. The "stripping down" would happen at the trade deadline and/or next summer. BUT, I feel like it could probably be done without losing all of them and I vehemently disagree with the "no good free agents" part. The list is WAY better in '23 than it is in '24. It's not remotely close, imho.
However, I'm absolutely in agreement with the idea that "clear the space and hope" is not a viable team building method. I think teams were willing to do that for Giannis (didn't work), but Dallas has too much going for them right now to just give it all up for a chance. I certainly hope that if they ever go the cap space route again, they'll be doing so because they've 'tampered' and have some idea that a specific player or group of players wants to come here to play with Luka.
Look, I brought up the topic to begin with because with the exception of the trade to dump Porzingis, when they kind of had no choice, they just keep targeting players with only 1 year left on their deals. That might be behind them, and it might be coincidence in Wood's case, but IDK. I'm just asking myself: was Wood the best player out there they could afford, or was he the best player out there on the last year of his deal? Was he chosen because they believe he's the missing piece, or because he represents a way to get way out of the luxury tax, or maybe even as a route to cap space? It's easy to make assumptions based on our own personal biases, but those assumptions have been wrong before, up to and including things that happened this very summer.
It's just something I'm keeping my eye on. If THJ, Bertans, Green or worse - Dinwiddie or Bullock is moved this summer or at the deadline for any player on the last year of their deal my radar will be up. To me, that will either mean they're thinking cap space in the near future or they simply want to reduce payroll. I know which one would make me angrier.
However, I'm absolutely in agreement with the idea that "clear the space and hope" is not a viable team building method. I think teams were willing to do that for Giannis (didn't work), but Dallas has too much going for them right now to just give it all up for a chance. I certainly hope that if they ever go the cap space route again, they'll be doing so because they've 'tampered' and have some idea that a specific player or group of players wants to come here to play with Luka.
Look, I brought up the topic to begin with because with the exception of the trade to dump Porzingis, when they kind of had no choice, they just keep targeting players with only 1 year left on their deals. That might be behind them, and it might be coincidence in Wood's case, but IDK. I'm just asking myself: was Wood the best player out there they could afford, or was he the best player out there on the last year of his deal? Was he chosen because they believe he's the missing piece, or because he represents a way to get way out of the luxury tax, or maybe even as a route to cap space? It's easy to make assumptions based on our own personal biases, but those assumptions have been wrong before, up to and including things that happened this very summer.
It's just something I'm keeping my eye on. If THJ, Bertans, Green or worse - Dinwiddie or Bullock is moved this summer or at the deadline for any player on the last year of their deal my radar will be up. To me, that will either mean they're thinking cap space in the near future or they simply want to reduce payroll. I know which one would make me angrier.
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