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

[From Dirk to Luka]

As I read through these various ideas, I find myself incredibly pessimistic over all of it. The thing that's is most concerning is that year after year, Cuban has eroded what little talent they had AND has frittered away assets, so that now the cupboard is almost completely bare of ways to build around Luka and Kyrie.

This is not new. Cuban's choices since the title, with no clue as to how to amass assets and gather talent, despite always having a Hall of Fame talent on the roster to attract players, have been one self-destructive choice after another. Just no clue.

Destroying a title team because Cuban was supposedly super smart about how to use the 2011 CBA. Bypassing a generational 2-way player because Cuban had a better roster building idea. His highlights were signing a damaged-goods Parsons to a giant contract, signing a damaged-goods Matthews to a giant contract, signing a decent F Barnes to a giant contract, and signing a washed-and-lazy Jordan to a giant contract.

Trading FOR Porzingis (with the necessary contract that entailed, and loss of draft capital in MANY ways) was an asset killer. There's still more payment due for that move.

And then bringing in a new untrained GM (to make wise decisions) who knows nothing about player evaluation and had no experience in ANY of the GM skills.

Signing THJ to a giant contract.
Signing Bullock, who was good for a year, then a liability thereafter.
Trading AWAY Porzingis (taking bad contracts and spending another pick, for a unicorn) was further drain on assets. Cuban paid a fortune in assets to get him, and then paid again to get rid of him. That's awful.
The asset drain from the Brunson fiasco was huge.
The Wood decision was another one, frittering away opportunity and a pick.
The McGee decision took a roster spot and payroll, and also cost an opportunity to sign someone who would be a plus.

There's basically nothing to work with now. Just a pile of mediocre players with bad contracts.

They need a genius in roster building. Instead they have Cuban running the ship (the blind leading the blind, as it's said), whose choices have been one disaster after another. He has no clue. So I can't see how there's a path to a good team ahead.

+41

---

I am with you that I have almost zero confidence in Mavs to pull off a good offseason. They haven't shown anything in this past four years that would make me think otherwise. That is why this is the last offseason I give them  If they don't satisfy my standards, I am out. I set my own standards. Not that they will care, but I will. I can find many more fun things to do than watch incompetence.

+41
Really miss that like button...

---

Thank you for condensing all of my Mavs depression into one post.  It isn't just the litany of roster malpractice Cuban has overseen, it's the complete and utter lack of faith that there is any way out.

Cuban somehow manages to not just make the wrong decision, but the worst decision, way too often.

+41