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

[SleepingHero]

Catching up with several pages of this thread has been entertaining.  Kuzma seemed like it had momentum and some people seemed to be talking them themselves into it and then suddenly.....BAM.  Its all about Lebron.

I'm going to chose to ignore the Lebron thing.  I don't want it to happen.  I get that it's LeBron, but I've never liked him (respect him, but don't like him) and I don't want to cheer for him.  Trade matching is disruptive and difficult.  I don't like his age and contract.  What we'll have left when he's done with us will be total desolation.  I'd rather Luka try to win this without this type of help.

I've been interested in Washington as a trade partner and I'm fine with Kuzma.  The Kuzma/Kidd connection was new information to me and another reason to think this might have legs.  I go back and forth with whether I'd prefer a THJ based outgoing package (which presumably leaves GWill here as a backup) or a GWill based package (which presumably leaves THJ here as a backup).  It is interesting (at least to me) that THJ's money misses matching Kuzma's money by a few thousand.  It is almost like they designed the first year to force Dallas to add a player to any THJ based deal.

Washington wants picks, so 2027 in some form or fashion is gone in this deal.  If you are them and take an objective view of our roster and what they will build around, they probably don't value Hardy (with Poole there) and probably would value OMax as part of a Avdija/Bilal/OMax wing group.  To me, OMax and 2027 (and say Hardaway) is too much for Kuzma.  It may take that, but I'd prefer the 2027 pick not be unprotected if we do.  Would I go unprotected if Gafford/Holmes was included?  Probably.  THJ/OMax/2027 for Kuzma/Gafford?  Kuzma isn't dramatically different than THJ.  But, we have guys who can play guard and need more wing size.  Kuzma rebounds better and passes/creates better and is a better fit in the starting lineup and in 'any two-of' lineups with Luka or Kyrie.  But, the main thing is he has a defensive gear (when he choses to use it) that THJ just doesn't have.  Gafford solves the backup C issue for years to come.  So, yeah, I'd do it.

The idea that we somehow could add Avdija to the above is nuts.  We don't have the juice for all three.  I'd be more than fine though if Avdija was substituted for Kuzma.  Maybe that deal is GWill/Holmes/OMax/2027 for Avdija/Gafford.  That makes a ton of sense to me.  One other reminder...Shamet has a very flexible contract and Washington has a TPE that can absorb either of Holmes or GWill.  So some of the consideration for a deal with them can be future roster building tools that don't get cashed in until the summer.

I don't know if I'm out of touch or unrealistic, but I am so staunchly against trading the 2027 for anything less than a star that any deal I see with it included for mediocre role players makes me violently queasy. 

Kuzma's fit on the team is questionable. Sure we can say he brings size and rebounding. But the amount of holes we can poke with his drive, efficiency, and defense, is enough to question why we'd even want him in the first place. 

Why would we want to give up the '27 for that? Not only the '27 but OMax as well? It reeks of short term thinking and akin to the type of deals Donnie made on his way out (that JJ Reddick deal I talked myself into still annoys me, why'd we give a 2nd??)

I forgot what podcast I heard this on but they said something absurd like 75% of all available firsts are held by 11 teams. Mavs going into the summer with 3 available (and attractive) firsts is huge. Giving up that for Kuzma just doesn't make sense to me. Further, we have to build on our fantastic future building summer, not take pieces of it away. OMax used as a throw in to me is the gravest sin this team can make. Sure he looks raw right now, but in 2 years? He could either be our starting PF or our most attractive trade piece outside of Luka. 


My limit for any Kuzma deal is 2 2nds and 1 of Green or Hardy. If Gafford is included then I'm fine with both of them. That's why the only way I've entertained such a deal is shipping THJ off to ORL for one of their two late 2024 firsts and combining our 2 good 2nds for WAS. Mavs keep their flexibility for future trades that way and WAS can say they got 3 picks for Kuz as they fill their treasure chest.