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

[KillerLeft]

Hmmm, it’s interesting but I don’t know how I feel about giving up the 2027 for what would be a backup center making 20M an year over the next 4 seasons including this one. I like the player but I feel like there are cheaper alternatives that wouldn’t require that pick to fill in backup center minutes with better rebounding. I am however ready to throw Green in the trade machine to see what comes out, mostly because it feels like some of our other role playing wings are playing on the same level if not better.

I am with you. Poetl has his fans here, but I’ve never been one of them. I totally get that he helps a ton with rebounding, but…is he even a pick and roll guy? THAT’s why Lively has gotten this chance and been so effective. I’m not so sure the Mavs would even be interested in Poetl. 

I’m also seeing a big disconnect between groups of us (fans). I started to make this point in a reply to IGT yesterday, but got distracted before finishing. There seems to be a group who thinks “48 minutes of center play” is the missing piece here. There are lots of different ways to look at that statement, but I’m not sure 48 minutes of Lively/Poetl (that you HAD to go with every night, for financial reasons) is what I’d want in the Mavs’ shoes. 

I could be totally wrong on this - just my feeling, but I think Kleber is the PERFECT complement to Lively as a backup, if only he’d play like the Kleber from two years ago. I haven’t given up on that idea…but even if the Mavs have, it kind of seems to me like they’d need to replace Kleber with a new, better Kleber. Physical and defensive, yes (Kleber used to be both of those things). Rebounding…Kleber has never been great there, so it would be easy to improve on him in that area. 

Point is, if they add a center, shouldn’t it be a guy who offers a way to play 5-out, giving them that option again? And if not, shouldn’t it be at least another guy who can play pick and roll, like Lively and Powell?