Trade & FA 2023-24: OKC The Favorite For Nic Claxton Should He Leave BRK

[surfpuckmd]

This is my 9 man playoff rotation. More like end of season rotation. Luka and Kyrie's minutes will certainly be higher in the playoffs.

Your chart both gave me a migraine but also made me want to eat Skittles.  I mostly like your minutes distribution and would prefer you be the Mavs coach over Jason Kidd. 

I think DJJ will receive most of those OMax minutes though and Dwight Powell will receive most of the Holmes minutes.  Holmes hasn't been the same since a serious eye injury.  I'm pulling for him though and if he does bounce back then that trade will look like a genius move.  

I would love to see Derrick Lively receive 18 mpg by the end of the season and I think it's possible.  He was the best defensive player in college basketball at the end of the season and can dunk the ball when he's within 3 feet of the rim.  I think that will have value for the Mavericks.  I don't buy the argument that it will be three years before he can contribute to the Mavericks.  We don't need excellence at the center position.  We need solid defense and rebounding.  I think Lively by the end of this year can be what Willie Cauley-Stein was for the Mavericks-  decent.  

I will also be very happy if Jaden Hardy plays 28 mpg.  If Kidd plays Seth Curry more than Jaden Hardy, I will be depressed and angry.

[mvossman]

Yeah I absolutely hated the way that Kidd handled the entire situation but like you I'm glad we didn't end up paying Wood big money
Now we just have to worry about who will be Kidd's newest enemy. Will he have some weird, irrational hatred of Grant Williams? That would suck

I have little hope for Kidd being a good coach, but it does seem like we were more aligned with the players we acquired this offseason vs last.  Most of the guys we brought in were high character, high BB IQ and good defenders (which generally go together).  They were Kidd kind of guys (and something a team that already has Luka and Kyrie desperately needed).  They were also mostly young, which is supposed to be Kidd's calling card.  Kidd got everything he could want from this offseason.  If he can't significantly improve on last seasons performance, he won't have any more excuses.

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

Yeah I absolutely hated the way that Kidd handled the entire situation but like you I'm glad we didn't end up paying Wood big money
Now we just have to worry about who will be Kidd's newest enemy. Will he have some weird, irrational hatred of Grant Williams? That would suck

Astute question, both for assuming Kidd needs an enemy (he does) and G.Williams is a likely candidate.  Sources out of BOS stated that G.Williams and M.Smart were two players identified as not exactly "buying in" to what the Celtics were selling.  They both were moved.

If this does happen, a whole lotta you will have egg on your faces re Wood.  Kidd's pattern is that it WILL happen again.

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

When you consider the Brunson talent-lost-for-nothing-asset then the Javale McGee from-starter-to-stretch-waived-asset on top of the Christian Wood supercheap-to-a-top-West-Mavs-contender-obstacle , this much is undeniable.  

Mavs have some splainin to do especially if they end up getting majorly impacted by losses to Wood's Lakers.  

Wonder if the Mavs players will take those game personally?  We know Wood will.

I know of no ill-feelings between Wood and other players (actually with any of the teams he played for).

Against LAL, we need to have Maxi defend Wood every second he's on the floor.  Dude is going to torch us.

[IamDougieFresh]

I think DJJ will receive most of those OMax minutes though

I think OMax is going to surprise basically everyone here. I get that I am biased. Yes I'm the dude who proclaimed that the Mavs must draft him in the pre draft thread. People are worried that he can't shoot well enough. I'm thinking something like 33% (DJJ is 30.4% for his career) year 1 and an improvement each year similar to DFS. 33% should be more than sufficient to have him on the court considering his defensive impact is going to be nutty.

and Dwight Powell will receive most of the Holmes minutes.  Holmes hasn't been the same since a serious eye injury.  I'm pulling for him though and if he does bounce back then that trade will look like a genius move.

This is my rotation after all and I'm simply not playing Dwight in a meaningful game. I believe Holmes is pretty much the same player he was before Sabonis arrived. At the same time that he was being replaced it looks like he was being falsely accused of domestic violence in a custody battle. Now that it's mostly behind him, I think we basically have a better version of Dwight who can shoot the push shot to punish drop coverage.
  

I would love to see Derrick Lively receive 18 mpg by the end of the season and I think it's possible.  He was the best defensive player in college basketball at the end of the season and can dunk the ball when he's within 3 feet of the rim.  I think that will have value for the Mavericks.  I don't buy the argument that it will be three years before he can contribute to the Mavericks.  We don't need excellence at the center position.  We need solid defense and rebounding.

I did NOT want to draft Lively, but now that I have watched much more of his tape I am a believer. His job is a lot harder than OMax so I expect him to come along slower. That being said, I don't see why he couldn't get 18 mpg this year. He can be propelled to another level if he develops the corner three. If he gets the trail 3 an some pick a pop going... watch out. Even if he never shoots a 3 in an NBA game he will still be an impact defender, rim protector, rebounder and lob threat.
  

I will also be very happy if Jaden Hardy plays 28 mpg.  If Kidd plays Seth Curry more than Jaden Hardy, I will be depressed and angry.

The only thing standing in Hardy's way is THJ and Kidd. He fell in the draft because he went to play against grown men in the G League and was given a PG role he wasn't ready for. He will excel playing off of Luka and Kyrie in a consistent role. People will think I'm crazy, but I'm already thinking about what to do when he exceeds expectations. With Kyrie and Luka it will be hard to get him over that 28 mpg mark without compromising our defense.

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

You’re changing the argument. I don’t really care much about Wood anymore now that he isn’t a Mav, but making things up to make the breakup more than it is is not right. I agree with Wood not being a fit here and what seems to be a behind the scenes distraction. After the fact it’s quite evident after all the idiotic shade the coach threw all season and the Owner after he left (which is his MO).

I believe it’s also true that Houston didn’t really want him back (the reasons aren’t all that clear because their owner and coach don’t air out their dirty laundry like ours do, I mean, if they didn’t get a FRP offer would they have still had him last season?) and we know Dallas for sure doesn’t. Other than that, there is very little to suggest the reasons for his “bouncing around the league”, your guess isn’t better than anyone else’s. No worse than a witch hunt to make you feel better about something.

His quote finally returning the shade at Kidd after being the butt all season is perfectly acceptable. There was no need to defend Kidd in any way.

100%.  "bouncing around the league" = in/out of the league until his game developed to NBA standards.  

His NBA career started 4 years ago, not 7...
1 year - Detroit - they signed J.Grant, Wood signed with Houston
2 years - Houston - Sengun/JPJ drafted/needed playing time, Got a FRP for him
1 year - Dallas - we know the story

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

IamDougieFresh. great points on OMax.  IMO, Crowder is the best comparable as far as being NBA ready with the same set of tools.  OMax is bigger and more athletic, but point stands.  33%3pt is precisely what I stated also.  This is Crowder's rookie year:

GP  GS   MIN    FG%   3PT          3P%       REB   AST       BLK    STL   PTS
78  16    17.3    38.4    0.8-2.5     32.8       2.4     1.2        0.2     0.8   5.0

I see OMax with similar production, higher rebs and blks.

[Dahlsim]

I know of no ill-feelings between Wood and other players (actually with any of the teams he played for).

Against LAL, we need to have Maxi defend Wood every second he's on the floor.  Dude is going to torch us.

I wasn't thinking much of a personal beef between players with Wood although if there were player to player locker room issues most of the time the fans and public would never hear about it.  

I'm thinking more that the Mavs are their team and they know that Wood is coming with beef to destroy their team on the floor.  
That should be enough to get a counter reaction from some Mav's players who don't want to both lose and do so getting run over by Christian Wood in the process.

[michaeltex]

Just saw where SAS is releasing Cam Payne. I know the roster is full, but does it make any sense to at least kick the tires? Would he be a better add than Morris?

[RGP1981]

Just saw where SAS is releasing Cam Payne. I know the roster is full, but does it make any sense to at least kick the tires? Would he be a better add than Morris?

I think this is a better idea than signing Morris... much better. Payne could prove quite handy during the regular season if Luka/Kyrie miss any games.

Kyrie......... Payne, Hardy
Green........ THJ, Seth
Luka.......... DJJ, Exum
Kleber........ G-Will, O-Max
Holmes...... Lively, Powell

[DallasMaverick]

Just saw where SAS is releasing Cam Payne. I know the roster is full, but does it make any sense to at least kick the tires? Would he be a better add than Morris?

Maybe use some of that money we saved by waiving McGee?

Surely there will be other suitors.

[SleepingHero]

Just saw where SAS is releasing Cam Payne. I know the roster is full, but does it make any sense to at least kick the tires? Would he be a better add than Morris?

Cam Payne I think pretty obviously has way more left in the tank than Morris, but where does he fit in our already overcrowded backcourt? Luka+Kyrie are getting 32 mins a night at least. Leaves 32 mins left to be split among THJ, Hardy, Curry, and Exum and Green. Cam Payne definitely is more of a "PG" than all of those guys, but the minutes are thin.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

He'd be more valuable than Curry IMO. I'd cut him or Exum, but he's on a cheapo team friendly deal. They have enough bench scoring and they could use a actual PG instead of Curry playing one. But he's probably looking to sign elsewhere to a team that's championship window is starting to close.

[mvossman]

He'd be more valuable than Curry IMO. I'd cut him or Exum, but he's on a cheapo team friendly deal. They have enough bench scoring and they could use a actual PG instead of Curry playing one. But he's probably looking to sign elsewhere to a team that's championship window is starting to close.

I don't think there is any intention of play Curry at the point.  I think Curry is here to provide shooting off the bench, insurance if they trade Timmy, and maybe because he has history with both Luka and Kyrie.

Payne would be replacing Exum from a 3rd PG standpoint.  But Exum is also our backup point of attack defender and probably a Lindsey guy.  I would much rather have Payne than Morris, but it would be hard to sell minutes to a guard for this team.

[KillerLeft]

I think Payne might be a better player than Morris at this point, and possibly considerably better, but he's not really a great player, and as others have mentioned, it's tough to see a path to minutes for him here. I'm actually pretty intrigued by Exum, though I might be completely over him two weeks in the season.

Morris, on the other hand...he's not exciting. I get that. But, he IS a big who can shoot. I look at him as insurance behind Kleber, and Williams. There would be three of them on the roster, and to me, that doesn't suck.

[michaeltex]

But, as of 9/6, the path is open to trade Holmes. So packaging someone like THJ with him in a trade might open some playing time.

I still see Ayton, Capella and KAT talked about in blockbuster trade scenarios. Wouldn't that help plug a big hole?

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

But, as of 9/6, the path is open to trade Holmes. So packaging someone like THJ with him in a trade might open some playing time.

I still see Ayton, Capella and KAT talked about in blockbuster trade scenarios. Wouldn't that help plug a big hole?

Holmes is worth a negative #24 pick; so we would have to add the 27FRP just to make him an even asset.  Putting him in any trade scenario either lowers the value of the other pieces or returns like trash.  Holmes is here to stay for the next 2 years.  The plan there is to hope he gives us some minutes at C.

[mvossman]

But, as of 9/6, the path is open to trade Holmes. So packaging someone like THJ with him in a trade might open some playing time.

I still see Ayton, Capella and KAT talked about in blockbuster trade scenarios. Wouldn't that help plug a big hole?

Kind of feel like if any of that was going to happen, it would have happened by now.  We are certainly not going to alter trade decisions in order to make room for Cameron Payne.

[IamDougieFresh]

https://x.com/wojespn/status/1701716363704701236?s=46&t=-lW3MUk_hy_SiUq46U-6RA

Noel and Queta waived. Get Queta. High value pickup. Duffy client with Luka.

[ItsGoTime]

How bad are you as a player when you get waived to make room for Javale McGee?