Trade & FA 2023-24: Stein-Ingram Trade Inevitable| LAL Want Lebron Back On Any Terms

[The Jom]

He would be massively expensive and is an offense only player.  I don't think it would be worth the cost to double down on offense.  Our issues have always been on the other side of the ball.

I don’t want a non-defender. Don’t think that’s a fair description of this fella though. He’s really come on the past year. Much stronger. Inspired. Full of hustle. Rebounding with the best in the league. Shooting 3s and FTs at an unbelievable rate.

[MarkAguirreWrathofGod]

Way too soon to give up on Hardy and OMax. Think about DFS as a rookie. If you squinted hard enough you could see a quality rotation player, many here did, but it took a few years. And Omax is probably ahead of where Dorian was development wise.

[mvossman]

I don’t want a non-defender. Don’t think that’s a fair description of this fella though. He’s really come on the past year. Much stronger. Inspired. Full of hustle. Rebounding with the best in the league. Shooting 3s and FTs at an unbelievable rate.

I'm not saying he is a terrible defender, but he is a 7 footer who can't protect the rim.  He was 75th percentile rebounder (so good but not with best in league) and his 3 point shooting is roughly equivalent to Timmy.

I'm not saying he is not a really good player, I'm just saying if we are going to spend the assets to get somebody at that level, we are probably better off getting a 15 point scorer with elite defense than a 25 point scorer who has never been known for his defense.

[DanSchwartzgan]

Is it too soon to give up on Hardy or O-Max? The way we've played, I think another plus defender or a backup ball handler would be fantastic here. So far:

Luka/X
Irving/Hardaway
Green/Y
Williams/Z
Lively/Powell

We don't have the ammo IMO to land a young starter (like Anunoby), so I'd settle for quality backups that can shoot 3's.

I think you can call some combination of Curry/Exum as X.  If you look at the Game Flow for the last game, Exum came in for Luka when Luka sat (and Luka had to come right back when Exum got hurt).

Pretty clearly Jones Jr. is some combination of Y/Z and Maxi is getting a smattering of Z minutes here and there.  So, one question is what hole is the biggest need?

The other is obviously the means of acquiring someone.  Dallas is  $3.46mm under the tax, but Morris is mostly NG and his $2mm in cap cost is earned pro-rata (after about game 8) until it fully guarantees on 1/10.  So, the unearned part of Morris can be added to the amount we are under the cap.  If Morris plays 20 games (for instance), you can add about $1.5mm to the amount we are under the cap.

The reason this is important is we have MLE left (should someone be released that is worth that kind of money).  We also have TPE left.  The MLE amount is $5.4mm and the TPE amount is $4.9mm.  So both are within reach of being maximized if Morris is cut at a certain point in time.

Given our best contracts to trade are not expiring, it seems we are more likely to shop in this kind of $5mm pond than some big OG/Siakam deal.  Use of the MLE in-season is fairly rare, but it could happen if the right guy us cut our bought out.  We can also take in a lower dollar guy through the TPE in trade…probably to help some team get under the tax.

[surfpuckmd]

I have a suggestion for a player I think would fit well here and fits our price range-  Derrick Jones Jr. 

He is a very good defensive player and would be an immediate, substantial defensive upgrade over Reggie Bullock.  He is an elite athlete who is a better rebounder than Bullock. He also provides some rim protection (1.5 blocks per 36 minutes).  He runs the court well and is strong in transition-  I believe he'd fit especially well with the Kyrie-only minutes when we will push the pace better.  He is not a great 3-point shooter-  33.8 percent last season.  However, he has improved from 3 four consecutive seasons.  I also believe he would see better looks with Luka and Kyrie running the offense compared to playing with DeRozan and Zach Lavine.  

He is only 26 years old and still potentially has some room for improvement-  especially as a shooter.  

He turned down his player option for $3.36 million.  I suspect we could acquire him for somewhere around 3 years, $18-20 million total.  I believe that would be fair value for a good role player.  I think he'd be a solid rotation player as a small-ball 4.  

I really like the idea of Bruce Brown here but I think he will receive bigger offers than we can provide.

I think Derrick Jones Jr. would be an upgrade over Bullock, add some needed athleticism and defense and not require our full MLE.

As president of the DJJ fan club, I'd like to take a bow.

I never imagined he'd start here but the fit on this roster seems really good.

I do wish we signed him to a multi-year deal at more than the vet minimum.  I hope we can re-sign him this coming summer.

[KillerLeft]

As president of the DJJ fan club, I'd like to take a bow.

I never imagined he'd start here but the fit on this roster seems really good.

I do wish we signed him to a multi-year deal at more than the vet minimum.  I hope we can re-sign him this coming summer.

He’s showing signs of being a great pickup this year, and I too have thought about the 1-year deal, and how they won’t have his bird rights. 

But, I think at the end of the day he’s just a placeholder in the rotation for O-Max. It’s possible he’s a one-year-Maverick.

[DanSchwartzgan]

He’s showing signs of being a great pickup this year, and I too have thought about the 1-year deal, and how they won’t have his bird rights. 

But, I think at the end of the day he’s just a placeholder in the rotation for O-Max. It’s possible he’s a one-year-Maverick.

Even if he earns a big pay raise this season, we will have exceptions we can use on him.  He was betting on himself while Curry and Exum were willing to give TO’s.  The TO’s, if exercised, allow them to be Early Bird the third year.  Curry is probably too old for that to matter…speaking of placeholders.

One thing to keep an eye on.  We sit right on the LT for next season with 13 players.  Any trade that adds salary puts or even just signing a 14th player puts us over.  Another year under the LT seems unrealistic.  For planning (and speculation) purposes, the second apron is probably the number to worry about.

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

 
He’s showing signs of being a great pickup this year, and I too have thought about the 1-year deal, and how they won’t have his bird rights. 

But, I think at the end of the day he’s just a placeholder in the rotation for O-Max. It’s possible he’s a one-year-Maverick.

I see him turning this into a career bounce just like Aminu did here.

Agreed on OMax.  I hope he gets 35mins of every game for the Legends, initiating the offense and putting up 20 attempts.  He could be devastating with some handles and a shot.

[mvossman]

As president of the DJJ fan club, I'd like to take a bow.

I never imagined he'd start here but the fit on this roster seems really good.

I do wish we signed him to a multi-year deal at more than the vet minimum.  I hope we can re-sign him this coming summer.

I was definitely a member, but in two games I have gone from complaining about him starting to wondering how we will hold on to him.  As Dan mentioned, we will have exceptions available and hopefully this team will show enough to warrant going over tax next season.

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He’s showing signs of being a great pickup this year, and I too have thought about the 1-year deal, and how they won’t have his bird rights. 

But, I think at the end of the day he’s just a placeholder in the rotation for O-Max. It’s possible he’s a one-year-Maverick.

If he keeps playing like this, I would be happy with both.  Based on what little we have seen, I am not sure OMax is going to be fully ready by next season.  He might be a longer term project.

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

I was definitely a member, but in two games I have gone from complaining about him starting to wondering how we will hold on to him.  As Dan mentioned, we will have exceptions available and hopefully this team will show enough to warrant going over tax next season.

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If he keeps playing like this, I would be happy with both.  Based on what little we have seen, I am not sure OMax is going to be fully ready by next season.  He might be a longer term project.

Well, we are on track for going 82-0 

Agreed on OMax.  He needs to clear his calendar to be a Legend much more than a Mav.

[SleepingHero]

So how soon do the Mavs call up Portland for Jerami Grant and Malcom Brogdon?

[MarkAguirreWrathofGod]

So how soon do the Mavs call up Portland for Jerami Grant and Malcom Brogdon?

I somehow like and at the same time loathe this idea.

[Mavs2021]

So how soon do the Mavs call up Portland for Jerami Grant and Malcom Brogdon?

Portland is a play-off team. Why would they tank?  

Portland > Phoenix. 

Ayton 2nd in RPG and 5th in SPG. Ayton/Lively would have been some nice twin towers.

[SleepingHero]

Portland is a play-off team. Why would they tank?  

Portland > Phoenix. 

Ayton 2nd in RPG and 5th in SPG. Ayton/Lively would have been some nice twin towers.

You jest but as a firm owner of land on Ayton island I'm still in favor for this idea.

I still think we need a 2 way wing though. Grant+Ayton would be too much to match money wise without dismantling the whole team.

[F Gump]

Another year under the LT seems unrealistic.  For planning (and speculation) purposes, the second apron is probably the number to worry about.

I wouldn't assume they will exceed the LT. As the old expression goes, where there's a will, there's a way -- and Cuban's track record shows a consistent desire to avoid tax.

I think they'll work hard to find a way to shuffle the deck and lower the numbers by a bit, given that if they do nothing except add a rookie FA, they will be at or within a hair of the LT line (perhaps under) with 14. With a bit of effort, avoiding tax is going to easily be within their reach.

I will also add that it would be incredibly unlikely for them to return 13, even if they have 13 under contract for next year. That is to say, I expect some shuffling is inevitable -- which then opens the door for some salary slicing here or there.

[Mike lorenzo]

I don't understand the interest in IQ...we are full of guards...I like J.Grant but he is a terrible rebounder for his position and the contract is scary. However, I am intrigued by J.Collins, he is younger...it seems like he is fully recovered from his hand injury and is shooting the 3 well again (+-40%)..his athleticism would be great for us and he is averaging over 9 rebounds per game...we need size in the 4 to face Denver

[Chicagojk]

I don't think we have the best package (hardaway and seconds) and I completely understand why some say he is not what we need, but I just keep coming back to Detroit's Bogdanovich. He is tall with skill. Sort of the Michael Porter role. He is older and is not a strong defender, but I just think he is the type of move we are hoping to make. I would shy away if it included a future first or one of our young kids, so that is probably why it wouldn't happen.

[F Gump]

He is older and is not a strong defender ....

... he is the type of move we are hoping to make.  

Goodness, I hope that is NOT the type of player the Mavs are hoping to get.

Seems to me like "old" and "sucky defense" are BOTH disqualifiers, and the exact opposite, for what they need and should be wanting.

[Mavs2021]

I don't understand the interest in IQ...we are full of guards...I like J.Grant but he is a terrible rebounder for his position and the contract is scary. However, I am intrigued by J.Collins, he is younger...it seems like he is fully recovered from his hand injury and is shooting the 3 well again (+-40%)..his athleticism would be great for us and he is averaging over 9 rebounds per game...we need size in the 4 to face Denver

Too late now. Basically all of the distressed assets that you could have had for almost free this summer like Schroeder, Oubre, Collins, Ayton, Washington are balling.

I would not even blink on a Kyrie(Holmes) for Washington/Hayward trade. That´s how fast I´d ship Kyrie to Charlotte. It´s not going to work with him and Luka imho. They have the right set-up with Luka/Williams/Green/Lively. They work perfectly together. They are young. Their combined contracts will be very good, too. Add Washington at $15M and then Hayward on a team-friendly re-sign and you are almost there, which would be astonishing given where they have been six months ago. 

Then you can use the future 1sts to add the missing piece. How to get that Brown/McDaniels/PG 13/Butler type of SG/SF is a different question for another day.

Unfortunately I think they´ll ride this Kyrie thing out till the asset is completely burned. I´d Nene him.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

They’ll be nice to Kyrie. They got Nico and Kidd to appeal to/attract American players.