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

[mvossman]

So many wasted roster spots right now that limit what they can do. Wenyen Gabriel is in the G-League...get rid of someone and sign him ASAP. Call up Greg Brown and give him minutes. This current team is what happens when the Mavs are so obsessed with "bigs" that can shoot threes that they would rather go small and undersized with these floor spacers than figure out how to integrate a tall/lenthy PFs even if they can't shoot. You're going to get killed on the boards every game and lose out on these 50/50 balls when you have to play GW/DJJ at the 4 and Green at the 3

I don't think two non shooting bigs is the answer.  The starting lineup has not really been the issue.  The old starting lineup has a 111 defensive rating and this most recent one is 108.  The real issue from a size/defense standpoint is the second unit.  A lot of that is due to no Maxi and Powell being undersized.  I'm hoping moving DJJ and Holmes to the second unit will help that out, but we shall see.

[surfpuckmd]

So many wasted roster spots right now that limit what they can do. Wenyen Gabriel is in the G-League...get rid of someone and sign him ASAP. Call up Greg Brown and give him minutes. This current team is what happens when the Mavs are so obsessed with "bigs" that can shoot threes that they would rather go small and undersized with these floor spacers than figure out how to integrate a tall/lenthy PFs even if they can't shoot. You're going to get killed on the boards every game and lose out on these 50/50 balls when you have to play GW/DJJ at the 4 and Green at the 3

Agreed on Wenyen Gabriel.  Markieff Morris is useless.  

Gabriel would give us size on the 2nd unit.  He's a good defensive player and rebounds pretty well.  He played well for the Lakers last year.  Lots of energy and great wingspan.  

Let's sign him.

[Jason Terry]

Mavs get: Drummond and two Bulls 2nds

Bulls get: Hardy

Could be part of a bigger Bulls deal using picks from another team

Keep THJ until the summer and add a bench big in Drummond to fight with Holmes for Lively backup minutes. Maxi could play a role. We would have at least a chance to advance or learn more about this team

Get our picks back that we used for Hardy and have more assets for future moves

[youzigizag]

Its all just internet talk...

But I was looking at RealGM Trades section...saw MPJ's name. Went to Denver's RealGM board...unfortunately its not very active so I went to Denver's reddit page to see if posters are wanting him moved. Seems like there are mix feelings on MPJ from Denver fans.

It made me interested in what this board thought about a 6'10 wing who can flame throw from 3...obviously with Luka that would work on offense.

He's got a sketchy injury history
He's Max paid

Denver fan comments are all over the place about the guy but most agree he is overpaid.

They are saying he is streaky on defense and shooting...BUT CAN REBOUND. Comment saying he has gotten better at driving to the rim this year. Some say his defense isnt that bad.

Sketchy back injury and Max Paid are probably non-qualifiers. Trading in Conference probably makes things trickier. But this guy was liked on this bad before getting paid.

Im sure there are cheaper options and I would pursue those first for sure. He probably isnt defense oriented enough for JKidd...but there werent too many hating badly on his defense of Denvers reddit page.

[HAguiar95]

How bout Collins/Yurtseven for Holmes/Kleber/Hardy/2 2nds ?

Luka/Exum
Irving/Hardaway
DJJ/Green
Collins/Williams
Lively/Powell or Yurtseven

Collins feels like a great partner for Lively, can rebound, shoot and defend at a decent rate. Puts Grant where he probably belongs (Maxi role of 25mpg) and we keep assets for a trade (o-max/1st/Green/swaps) into the SF position.

[loki]

Mavs get: Drummond and two Bulls 2nds

Bulls get: Hardy

Could be part of a bigger Bulls deal using picks from another team

Keep THJ until the summer and add a bench big in Drummond to fight with Holmes for Lively backup minutes. Maxi could play a role. We would have at least a chance to advance or learn more about this team

Get our picks back that we used for Hardy  and have more assets for future moves

Unless those two 2nds are immediately turned into something concrete, I wouldn't give up Hardy for Drummond. Would rather wait until he's bought out again.

[loki]

How bout Collins/Yurtseven for Holmes/Kleber/Hardy/2 2nds ?

Luka/Exum
Irving/Hardaway
DJJ/Green
Collins/Williams
Lively/Powell or Yurtseven

Collins feels like a great partner for Lively, can rebound, shoot and defend at a decent rate. Puts Grant where he probably belongs (Maxi role of 25mpg) and we keep assets for a trade (o-max/1st/Green/swaps) into the SF position.

I like the direction you're headed, but not with Collins specifically. I don't think they should take that contract on, and I've never really believed in his defense.

How about someone more affordable like Boucher? He's not starter material, but he would help solve the size problems off the bench if you play him at the 4. He's worked well next to Poeltl. Maybe Kleber+Hardy for Boucher?

Then follow it up with a deal like Nick Richards for Morris and some 2nds. I think they can absorb his salary with what's left of the mid level exception while staying under the 1st apron.

Luka/Exum
Irving/Hardaway
DJJ/Green
Williams/Boucher
Lively/Richards

[Scott41theMavs]

When I look at Luka's characteristics... physical and defense...  I would really like for  this...

Find a PF with Taylor Hendricks' body measurements and supposed college ability to defend on the perimeter but whose defense translates to the NBA.... while this PF also shoots greater than 35% from 3-point range.  That is literally the perfect Forward you want next to Luka cause he's a fat, lazy but super talented cannnoli and he looks like it too. Oh, and the Cannoli also needs a defensive Center like Lively in the lineup.

So we know this...

PG (needs to be play-maker + 3-piint shooter + good defender on smallest guard in opposing team.)
SG (need a young Klay Thomson who had insane off-ball movement, catch and shoot threes, and still defended the best Guard on opposing team). Do any of the Curry-stanz realize how valuable Klay actually was?
SF: Luka. i don't want to hear dumbass idiot takes about Luka being a point guard. He's not... he's a point forward. If you don't think so, that's quite alright... everyone is entitled to their opinion... but please go touch yourself rather than engage in convo with me.
PF: Needs someone who can cover Luka's weaknesses on defense and who can also be a floor-spacer.
C: Rim protector + perimeter defender needed. Luka needs a rim-runner. How is this beyond obvious?

Anything extra from the above is a bonus

SF and C are covered in the starting lineup. Kai is at least a slight liability on defense, so by your standards, PG isn't filled. Your PF description is not so much the rare big wing that others have cited, so that opens up the possibilities of who that player might be a little bit. That SG - woof, that's tough.

[youzigizag]

SF and C are covered in the starting lineup. Kai is at least a slight liability on defense, so by your standards, PG isn't filled. Your PF description is not so much the rare big wing that others have cited, so that opens up the possibilities of who that player might be a little bit. That SG - woof, that's tough.

I asked the internet which NBA players are like Klay:

MPJ
Trey Murphy
Middleton
Danny Green
Bane
Booker
Keegan Murray
MIkal Bridges
Jaylen Brown

Dont know if any of those names were trolling.

[Scott41theMavs]

I asked the internet which NBA players are like Klay:

MPJ
Trey Murphy
Middleton
Danny Green
Bane
Booker
Keegan Murray
MIkal Bridges
Jaylen Brown

Dont know if any of those names were trolling.

Only ones with sufficient defense are Mikal and JBrown.

[surfpuckmd]

A brief post in favor of positivity.  

One year ago, the Mavs were composed of Luka Doncic and a bunch of role players.  We had lost Jalen Brunson and our future looked somewhat depressing.  Apart from Luka, we had one promising young player with Josh Green.

Then the Mavericks made a surprise trade for Kyrie Irving.  Kyrie is draped in red flags but we still acquired him at what seems like a great discount.  He has been terrific since arriving here and has been really professional.  He also re-signed on a very reasonable contract.  We acquired a second star who seems to play well with Luka but also excels in the Luka-less minutes.  Great success thus far by the Mavs front office.

Then, this summer, we acquired Dereck Lively.  Our late season struggles paid off. He has been one of the league's top 5 rookies.  He is probably already our 3rd or 4th-best player.  He is still 19 years old.  That's looking like our 2nd best draft pick of the millennium.  Another great success by the Mavs.  

We also acquired some solid role players in the offseason including Grant Williams and DJJ.  

We all obsess over acquiring better players to fill the holes on our roster. We especially want a better backup center and a big wing. Regardless of how this season evolves though, I think the last 12 months have been really successful. The growth of our roster and team have been very encouraging.

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

A brief post in favor of positivity.  

One year ago, the Mavs were composed of Luka Doncic and a bunch of role players.  We had lost Jalen Brunson and our future looked somewhat depressing.  Apart from Luka, we had one promising young player with Josh Green.

Then the Mavericks made a surprise trade for Kyrie Irving.  Kyrie is draped in red flags but we still acquired him at what seems like a great discount.  He has been terrific since arriving here and has been really professional.  He also re-signed on a very reasonable contract.  We acquired a second star who seems to play well with Luka but also excels in the Luka-less minutes.  Great success thus far by the Mavs front office.

Then, this summer, we acquired Dereck Lively.  Our late season struggles paid off.  He has been one of the league's top 5 rookies.  He is probably already our 3rd or 4th-best player.  He is still 19 years old.  That's looking like our 2nd best draft pick of the millennium.  Another great success by the Mavs.  

We also acquired some solid role players in the offseason including Grant Williams and DJJ.  

We all obsess over acquiring better players to fill the holes on our roster.  We especially want a better backup center and a big wing.  Regardless of how this season evolves though, I think the last 12 months have been really successful.  The growth of our roster and team have been very encouraging.

It was the first objectively good offseason this franchise has had in well over a decade.

[ItsGoTime]

I’m starting to come around on the idea of MLE signing Hartenstein this coming offseason. The added bonus that we take a player from the Knicks for free.

[mvossman]

I’m starting to come around on the idea of MLE signing Hartenstein this coming offseason. The added bonus that we take a player from the Knicks for free.

I'm a fan, but there is good chance we are not going to have access to full MLE, and he will probably cost more than the tax MLE.

[KillerLeft]

I'm a fan, but there is good chance we are not going to have access to full MLE, and he will probably cost more than the tax MLE.

This is why it's kind of pointless to worry about the summer this early, imho. 

I don't know when this happened, but the NBA has turned into nothing but transaction monitoring. When do we get to enjoy discussion about the Mavericks playing BASKETBALL? 

I think the team they have NOW has a chance to be good. Am I the only one?

[Scott41theMavs]

This is why it's kind of pointless to worry about the summer this early, imho. 

I don't know when this happened, but the NBA has turned into nothing but transaction monitoring. When do we get to enjoy discussion about the Mavericks playing BASKETBALL? 

I think the team they have NOW has a chance to be good. Am I the only one?

I think this team has a chance to be good, presuming health. If they were to fire JKidd today, you could tack 10 wins to the projected number they would win. That's still the problem. I was saying earlier that my win-loss projection for the season was 38-44. I'll up that, even without a JK firing, to 43-39. That's presuming injury woes, including Green's current injury, which is more catastrophic for the prospects of the next two weeks than we're acting like it is.

[KillerLeft]

I think this team has a chance to be good, presuming health. If they were to fire JKidd today, you could tack 10 wins to the projected number they would win. That's still the problem. I was saying earlier that my win-loss projection for the season was 38-44. I'll up that, even without a JK firing, to 43-39. That's presuming injury woes, including Green's current injury, which is more catastrophic for the prospects of the next two weeks than we're acting like it is.

I’m still skeptical about Kidd, but I’m trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. Having said that, I miss Carlisle’s offensive philosophies pretty badly, and I don’t feel as if there has been a defensive uptick worthy of abandoning those philosophies.

[RGP1981]

I asked the internet which NBA players are like Klay:

MPJ
Trey Murphy
Middleton
Danny Green
Bane
Booker
Keegan Murray
MIkal Bridges
Jaylen Brown

Dont know if any of those names were trolling.

Quentin Grimes has some of Klay's characteristics and might be gotten for cheap. The Knicks have too many guards... Brunson, Quickley, McBride, Hart, Divincenzo, Grimes, Fournier. He's not getting many shot attempts at the Knicks and has said he's unhappy with his role there.

It might be possible to get Jericho Sims from the Knicks at the same time too. Between Lively and Sims, the Center position will be sorted.

Grimes + Sims for ??

G: Kyrie, Exum
G: Grimes, THJ
F: Luka, Green, DJJ
F: Kleber, G-Will, O-Max
C: Lively, Sims

[SleepingHero]

NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral)
The Knicks reportedly made Quentin Grimes untouchable in trade negotiations for Donovan Mitchell, per @SbondyNBA

(Via https://bit.ly/3RumZEr)

[SwisherPrice]

3 and D role player is difficult, especially for a young player still trying to develop in a bland offensive system. Grimes and Josh Green are basically the same player. If Grimes is frustrated by how he's used in NY, he is also going to hate it here. Green can probably say the exact same things:

https://nypost.com/2023/12/05/sports/que...icks-role/

“It’s just hard when you go the whole quarter without touching the ball, the whole second quarter without touching the ball, and then you get one shot and you got to make it,” Grimes said after the Knicks’ 146-122 blowout loss to the Bucks. “So it’s tough going out there and just standing in the corner the whole game. Then you got to make the shot when you shoot the ball one or two times per game. It is what it is.”

Josh Hart had similar comments: 
https://nypost.com/2023/11/28/sports/jos...icks-role/

“I’m a rhythm player. So sometimes if I don’t touch the ball for four or five minutes running up and down the floor, just catch-and-shoot, I might as well be playing with a football,” Hart said. “I feel like I have no feel for [the ball]. There are definitely times I [pass up shots] because I’m not in the rhythm. I don’t like the feel of it.”