What does it all mean?

[mavsluvr]

A trade exception cannot be combined with a player for salary matching purposes. 

All I'm suggesting is the Mavs could waive Roby and then trade "air" e.g. something like a future 2nd for someone like Roberson + No 1. 

Roberson would fit into the Mavs TE and save OKC millions and millions. Probably not the best example, but that's the idea.

Another example might be Mavs future 2nd for Dion Waiters + No 1. 

Thanks for clarifying. 

A package of [ Lee + Jackson + MIA #1 + GSW #2 ] should get you a high level starter.

That might fit a salary matching package, but can't imagine another team would give up a high level starter for that. But you never know. Will be interesting to see what develops. A lot might depend on whether the Mavs really see themselves as having a good chance to win the title this season. If they don't, I would be surprised if they are willing to give up much of anything in the way of flexibility for a player they would only want if they drastically speed up their timeline. But I've been surprised before! And the front office is probably at least considering the possibilities, just as you are!

[vfromlmf]

Regardless, the point of the post wasn't to necessarily throw around trade ideas. The point is the Mavs clearly look like a surprise title contender and I can't imagine anyone in their right mind would've thought that 3 months ago. 

Coaches and GMs have to have a plan so whatever they were thinking has to be drastically altered. 

Of course, I don't know that they even have a plan at this point. 

Maybe they'll just sit back a see what Luka can do. It certainly seems like Carlisle is doing that from a coaching perspective. He's always talking about Doncic calling the plays and making the adjustments on the fly. Doncic reads the game in real-time.

Maybe Coach and GM are just along for the ride.

[Mavsfan12]

Regardless, the point of the post wasn't to necessarily throw around trade ideas. The point is the Mavs clearly look like a surprise title contender and I can't imagine anyone in their right mind would've thought that 3 months ago. 

Coaches and GMs have to have a plan so whatever they were thinking has to be drastically altered. 

Of course, I don't know that they even have a plan at this point. 

Maybe they'll just sit back a see what Luka can do. It certainly seems like Carlisle is doing that from a coaching perspective. He's always talking about Doncic calling the plays and making the adjustments on the fly. Doncic reads the game in real-time.

Maybe Coach and GM are just along for the ride.

RC's fingerprints are all over what Luka is doing, so it isn't so simple as to say he is along for the ride.  That said, I think that RC has recognized Luka's genius quality and has allowed him more autonomy in a way that I believe only JKidd has ever been able to get away with in the RC era.  RC is somewhat risk adverse - and this is not actually a bad thing.  It has lead the Mavs to be one of the better teams in the League in turnovers.  RC's realization and acceptance to allow Luka to play through mistakes last year has ultimately benefited him this season.  I think RC is seeing his offense being deployed in all its glory - I imagine that feels pretty great!

That works because I believe that Luka's desire for perfection is higher than RC's.  You can see Luka honing his skills and the turnovers are slowly decreasing as his experience and command of the offense continues to increase.  The dude is like AI and is learning from every rep to become a more dangerous player.  Personally, I tend to be risk adverse as well, and Luka's 3pt shots off the bounce have always driven me nuts due to the low percentage nature of the shot.  When I hear Luka's reaction to it and his own realization that he needs to improve that aspect of the game, it comforts me because he already recognizes the inefficiency and I am confident that, like almost all other aspects of his game, it is just a matter of time until he cleans that up too. Ultimately, even if it never becomes a highly efficient shot, it is somewhat a necessary evil as it is one of the ways that he has been able to get into the lane at will.  The threat of that stepback makes players crowd him and that just makes it easier for him to drive by them. Lacking elite quickness, that is the way to get into the lane for him.

[ItsGoTime]

I think we can afford to let go of 2 bodies off "the other guys" crew than we have incoming (or bring in the same amount of players where 2 of them are not close to our "other guys" in potential/play). We already have people upset at the lack of minutes/consistent minutes their favorite "other guy" isn't getting and we have JJB not getting any minutes currently. 

To me, that is the value in a trade to another team. The ability to upgrade their young guys/roster's potential guys. I'd think that upgrading some of their worthless potential guys contracts with decent to good potential guys contracts (guys who can come in and at the very least be useful rotation players) adds value. Is that enough value to add a decent to good starter quality player like is being discussed here? I'd think so.

If we can make a 3 for 1 (or 2 or 3, with the second and third players ones who have been ruled as not useful) trade where Lee (for salary matching) and any 2 of "the other guys" the opposite team wants (coincidentally, we could also leave Lee out and use 1 or 2 of Powell/Wright/Kleber/Curry to salary match with actual on court value then trade Lee with the 2nds and probably another asset to try and get the other starter).

Point being, I think the upgrade to a team's bench/potential is our play in the trade market.

[Doncic_bandwagoner]

To me it means that we‘re in for 1,000+ games over the next 13-17 years of basketball brilliance, boyish swagger, bearing witness to some of the most spectacular passes, a level of control over the game that is perhaps unheard of, ever-more deadly stepbacks, literally hundreds of moments of supreme clutchness, Luka developing his game to add additional artistry, and all of that accompanied by such a likeable, humble, and authentic personality. Luka plays with such joy and is truly a joy to watch. Just incredible. Competitiveness at its finest. All of that is of course barring injuries and on the very reasonable assumption that Luka‘s game will age really well.

As a basketball fan, and a European, I couldn’t ask for anything else. What it means for Dallas will ultimately depend on whether he follows in Dirk‘s footsteps and decides to stay in Dallas for the long haul. I have my doubts; Luka seems to cherish the limelight.

Having said this, I do think that the coronation is a long way off, as it should. Let him prove himself in the playoffs first and face true adversity. When it comes to roster building, I‘d also suggest patience so as not to mess with what is currently budding.

[mavsluvr]

To me it means that we‘re in for 1,000+ games over the next 13-17 years of basketball brilliance, boyish swagger, bearing witness to some of the most spectacular passes, a level of control over the game that is perhaps unheard of, ever-more deadly stepbacks, literally hundreds of moments of supreme clutchness, Luka developing his game to add additional artistry, and all of that accompanied by such a likeable, humble, and authentic personality. Luka plays with such joy and is truly a joy to watch. Just incredible. Competitiveness at its finest. All of that is of course barring injuries and on the very reasonable assumption that Luka‘s game will age really well.

As a basketball fan, and a European, I couldn’t ask for anything else. What it means for Dallas will ultimately depend on whether he follows in Dirk‘s footsteps and decides to stay in Dallas for the long haul. I have my doubts; Luka seems to cherish the limelight.

Interesting. I have the exact same feeling myself, while acknowledging that he is likable, humble, and authentic. Not sure exactly what it is. Although there is also the fact that, these days, almost no NBA players spend all or most of their careers with one team. We were lucky enough to have one who did. 

Having said this, I do think that the coronation is a long way off, as it should. Let him prove himself in the playoffs first and face true adversity. When it comes to roster building, I‘d also suggest patience so as not to mess with what is currently budding.

Agree with this. It's great that they blew out the Lakers and all, but it seems premature to be tinkering around for the sake of matching up with a specific opponent in the playoffs. Rick was asked after the Lakers game what it all meant, and he pumped the brakes on ratcheting up expectations, noting that they were going to receive a lot of increased attention from a lot of great teams during the remainder of a long season and just needed to stay humble and keep working. Of course, if a player they really want who fits into the plan becomes available, they will pull the trigger if the price is right. 

Hopefully, Luka can stay healthy and avoid being seduced by the bright lights and big cities. If so, there is every reason to be highly optimistic about this team.

[iolide]

I am hoping that he does stay a Mav for his whole career. He really strikes me as a loyal guy; I mean, just look at how he still follows Real Madrid and even attends games when possible. In the Euro culture, someone who leaves a club for another for "money" or "bright lights" tend to be called Mercenary. He doesn't strike me as that type of fellow. I think he does genuinely love Dallas and the fans. 

In the end, i am hoping these Euro stars take the stench of the banana-boat buddies away; that they remain with their one team and compete against each other.

[mavsluvr]

I am hoping that he does stay a Mav for his whole career. He really strikes me as a loyal guy; I mean, just look at how he still follows Real Madrid and even attends games when possible. In the Euro culture, someone who leaves a club for another for "money" or "bright lights" tend to be called Mercenary. He doesn't strike me as that type of fellow. I think he does genuinely love Dallas and the fans. 

In the end, i am hoping these Euro stars take the stench of the banana-boat buddies away; that they remain with their one team and compete against each other.

Don't get me wrong, I hope he stays, too. I just don't take it for granted. (Not saying that you do.)

He still follows Real Madrid; yet, he left there. It is unusual, even in Europe, for a guy to stick with one team forever, although there a few, like Messi, who do. High-character guys change teams, for a variety of reasons that make sense to them. 

Hope the Mavericks don't take him for granted, and I think they are probably very sensitive to the issue.

[LukTheShadow]

What does it all mean?







I'll exclude stats and trades and put it in this way:

Those who are following the Mavericks for a longer time will know that there are very few moments in history when fans of other teams envied Mavericks fans. And now is such moment and this envy is strongly justified, so for me it means that I'll proudly sit down and enjoy this probably historical BB future in progress.







Regarding Luka staying in DAL I would say only this: Even he is young kid, he was always chasing WINS. Give him a chance to follow this and he'll stay here for ever.



Mavs FO knows that and for now ...  it's looking good.

[fifteenth]

Coaches and GMs have to have a plan so whatever they were thinking has to be drastically altered. 

Of course, I don't know that they even have a plan at this point. 

I'm sure they have a plan (they've even shared pieces of it) and I don't think Luka's substantial leap forward means that the plan must be drastically altered.

[DrMav]

As a basketball fan, and a European, I couldn’t ask for anything else. What it means for Dallas will ultimately depend on whether he follows in Dirk‘s footsteps and decides to stay in Dallas for the long haul. I have my doubts; Luka seems to cherish the limelight.

All the Mavs organization can do is constantly work to put a competitive team around him. 

Dallas isn't LA or NYK, but it is definitely in the 2nd tier of markets offering natural exposure based on size so it should be easy enough to market him nationally and globally.

I hope that if the things above can be taken care of, another factor that I hope helps keep him here is the relationship he is building with Dirk and seeing how much the Big German is loved by the Dallas community.

[mavsluvr]

Regarding Luka staying in DAL I would say only this: Even he is young kid, he was always chasing WINS. Give him a chance to follow this and he'll stay here for ever.

I don't know. He was winning in Read Madrid, and he left that club.


In the long run, all kinds of things can happen, and we can't know the future. 

In the short term, I think it is a matter of Luka buying into the idea that a longer-term outlook is more in his interest than immediately going into a win-now mode. His progress may well step up their timeline, but they aren't in a position to make much in the way of changes that will dramatically impact this season. Agree that Luka is a smart kid, and he should see the benefits of staying in position to get another star in the next year or two.

[khaled1987]

I think it means we are attractive to players again. So vets who are waived, FA vets who wants to win etc would consider us seriously.
Regarding the Luka "forever" thing: We are at around 5 more seasons away from that. Long way to go and hundreds of variables can happen. Let's just enjoy what we have now.

[StepBackJay]

So serious question. What if Doncic really is one of the greatest players in NBA history?

There are no words to describe what he's done through the first 19 games. Even the most optimistic Mavs fan has to be astonished. 

Even Dirk said he expected Luka to face some adversity as teams focus on stopping him. Turns out, the attention has just made him better.

Cuban is giddy. Teammates sound awe inspired. He's being compared to legends of the game by Hall of Fame coaches. He's having the best season for a 20 year old in history and it's not even close. 

No one could have expected this. Surely not Carlisle or even Donnie. 

So, how does this change things? IMHO

The Mavs BT went into the offseason looking for a dynamic playmaker to ride shotgun. Kemba Walker was the main target, along with some defensive help and shooting. 

Well Kemba didn't work out .... so the Mavs put the ball in Doncic's hands ... and that IS working out. Mavs now boast the best offense in NBA history. 

I'll argue that Doncic has risen so quickly that the Mavs are Championship contenders and this will certainly change how the BT approaches additions to the roster and trade deadline. 

Gentlemen and women, we are now in win now mode.

The Mavs can play with any team in the league and win on any given night.

Now the focus shifts to matchups versus the big dogs. All trade options are on the table. Future assets be damned. We don't need picks. Think we need a versatile wing to defend Kawhi? It's time to go get one. Think we need a bruiser to bang with Harrell? Go get one. 

We need players who are ready to go win an NBA title. The time is now.

I do think we are in win now mode, especially with GS taking a year off. Next year GS will be a force to reckon with again. This year the main team I want to avoid as long as possible are the Clippers. Everyone else has flaws.

I don't think we need to mortgage the future necessarily but I hope the Mavs are opportunistic to make moves this year that can get us a top 4 seed and the ability to move into the 2nd round (both goals are related).

The Clippers will be doing some load management so I don't think they will prioritize a top 4 seed over health. The Mavs on the other hand have a lot of depth (could have even more post TDL) and will need to keep up with teams that shore up weaknesses with trades and buy-outs. I think if you are the Mavs if you can pile up enough wins to avoid Lakers, Clippers, Rockets, Nuggets in the first round you try to do so.

On the table should be every player not named Luka or KP + the GS pick, future 2nds and long-term cap space for the right deal. My prediction is that the Mavs will get a player or two by the TDL or through buyouts and are likely to cash in the GS pick for one of those players. It could also help them lock in their guy for the summer in that they can get a Favors-type on the last year of his deal and keep his bird rights, while leaving the full MLE available. At that point luxury tax could be an issue, but Mavs can work around that if they need to.

[LukTheShadow]

Regarding Luka staying in DAL I would say only this: Even he is young kid, he was always chasing WINS. Give him a chance to follow this and he'll stay here for ever.

I don't know. He was winning in Read Madrid, and he left that club.

He left U9 team when he was 7, U12 when he was 9, U16 at 14-15, U18 at 16 years and Senior team with 19 years. He always left his team before his time to go. And he always learned how to be the best guy around, not in first year, but in second and further. Sounds familiar?

In the long run, all kinds of things can happen, and we can't know the future. 

In the short term, I think it is a matter of Luka buying into the idea that a longer-term outlook is more in his interest than immediately going into a win-now mode. His progress may well step up their timeline, but they aren't in a position to make much in the way of changes that will dramatically impact this season. Agree that Luka is a smart kid, and he should see the benefits of staying in position to get another star in the next year or two.

Luka's draft presentation video about his goals in NBA should be taken serious. There is link somewhere on this board. He knew very precisely how things working in nba when entering the league and he set his ring goal in year 4 or 5, not sure. But that does not mean that he will not push himself and all around to and beyond their limits to get a W on every and each game. 

There is plenty of time, even for generic team growth and there is no need to force mavs into some asap buyitnow or hurraytrade option. Looking at the scoreboard atm even less necessary.

[mavsluvr]

Regarding Luka staying in DAL I would say only this: Even he is young kid, he was always chasing WINS. Give him a chance to follow this and he'll stay here for ever.

I don't know. He was winning in Read Madrid, and he left that club.

He left U9 team when he was 7, U12 when he was 9, U16 at 14-15, U18 at 16 years and Senior team with 19 years. He always left his team before his time to go. And he always learned how to be the best guy around, not in first year, but in second and further. Sounds familiar?

In the long run, all kinds of things can happen, and we can't know the future. 

In the short term, I think it is a matter of Luka buying into the idea that a longer-term outlook is more in his interest than immediately going into a win-now mode. His progress may well step up their timeline, but they aren't in a position to make much in the way of changes that will dramatically impact this season. Agree that Luka is a smart kid, and he should see the benefits of staying in position to get another star in the next year or two.

Luka's draft presentation video about his goals in NBA should be taken serious. There is link somewhere on this board. He knew very precisely how things working in nba when entering the league and he set his ring goal in year 4 or 5, not sure. But that does not mean that he will not push himself and all around to and beyond their limits to get a W on every and each game. 

There is plenty of time, even for generic team growth and there is no need to force mavs into some asap buyitnow or hurraytrade option. Looking at the scoreboard atm even less necessary.

---

Regarding Luka staying in DAL I would say only this: Even he is young kid, he was always chasing WINS. Give him a chance to follow this and he'll stay here for ever.

I don't know. He was winning in Read Madrid, and he left that club.

He left U9 team when he was 7, U12 when he was 9, U16 at 14-15, U18 at 16 years and Senior team with 19 years. He always left his team before his time to go. And he always learned how to be the best guy around, not in first year, but in second and further. Sounds familiar?

In the long run, all kinds of things can happen, and we can't know the future. 

In the short term, I think it is a matter of Luka buying into the idea that a longer-term outlook is more in his interest than immediately going into a win-now mode. His progress may well step up their timeline, but they aren't in a position to make much in the way of changes that will dramatically impact this season. Agree that Luka is a smart kid, and he should see the benefits of staying in position to get another star in the next year or two.

Luka's draft presentation video about his goals in NBA should be taken serious. There is link somewhere on this board. He knew very precisely how things working in nba when entering the league and he set his ring goal in year 4 or 5, not sure. But that does not mean that he will not push himself and all around to and beyond their limits to get a W on every and each game. 

There is plenty of time, even for generic team growth and there is no need to force mavs into some asap buyitnow or hurraytrade option. Looking at the scoreboard atm even less necessary.

Agree.

[bartlettbear]

They keep adding small picies this year maybe a Taj Gibson or Marvin WIlliams both 4 but different types of 4 but both Vets that can fill a role this team need.

Work on KP post game , Mavs will need to be able to to throw it into him in a playoff game and get 2 or a foul.

[windjc]

What if Luka wins the Championship this year? Is that soon enough for him to build loyalty to Dallas?

[cow]

What if Luka wins the Championship this year? Is that soon enough for him to build loyalty to Dallas?

You need to keep building a winning team around him.   MBT needs to do a better job drafting (we probably aren't going to be anywhere near the lottery at this rate) and a better job in free agency.  

You can't assume Luka's loyalty but you also shouldn't worry about it.  Dirk probably would have left the Mavs if it weren't for 2011, but the situations are different.  Dirk was exiting his physical prime and Luka isn't close to being in his.    One championship wouldn't satisfy his hunger.