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

[surfpuckmd]

Since it is a trade and not an FA signing, I'm not that worried about it.  Dinwiddie was just as much of a starter at Herro has been at the point we traded for him and put him in a bench role.  Like Dinwiddie, Herro already has his money and Irving may be gone by the time he's UFA again.

If we presume we are trying to upgrade the roster with a 30-minute type player, there are 3 roles that make sense to me.

1. Starting Center - The issue here is we probably drafted Lively to take this spot in a year or two or three.

2. Wing who can push Green or GWill to the bench - Is this what we hope OMax will become?

3. Third guard with shooting, creation and distribution skills - probably what we hope Hardy will become.

We won't all agree on which we need more.  It is somewhat a product of which kid we think is furthest away or has the lowest ceiling.  It is also a product of who is available and at what price.  I can say that I think OG or J. Allen is the guy we need, but at what price.  I happen to think Herro would fit role #3 very nicely and I know with near certainty that he's pretty available right now.

This is great and I want to piggyback off your conclusions.  There is only one way to know which of our young players are close to becoming contender-level rotation players-  by letting this season play out.   Lively, Omax and Hardy all have the potential to become long-term solutions at their positions.  I think we'll know more about their trajectories and fit later after 40-50 games have been played.  I would actually add Grant Williams to that list as I'd like to see what he can accomplish in a starting role with the Mavericks.  I keep reading that Lively won't be ready to contribute for at least two or three seasons.  I don't think that's necessarily true.  Let's see how he looks in January and February and we can make better predictions then.

The prices for good players are also higher right now then they will be closer to the trade deadline.  I only see a few teams currently who don't look like they're striving for the playoffs this coming season-  the Wizards, Spurs, Trailblazers and Pistons.  I don't see any big upgrades for us on those rosters.  There are usually a few teams that disappoint during the season though and decide to trade off a few veterans, sit a few starters and go in on the tank.  I see the Trailblazers as having done so the last two seasons which led to them trading away CJ McCollum, Larry Nance Jr and Josh Hart at discount prices.  

I think the Mavericks have generally been very smart and calculating this summer.  I think waiting to make a trade closer to the trade deadline would also be smart and calculating.