HALLELUKA: Luka Clinches All-NBA 1st team. 4th in 5 years

[DanSchwartzgan]

Yes, some of it is "interpretation" from both of us, but I feel you are leaving out data and info. 

1) Cuban explicitly said as much (no chance to offer), but of course I assume you wouldn't trust Cuban.

2) I followed this all VERY closely in June and July to get an accurate picture of everything. The reporting was that the Mavs made a decision the summer of 2021 when management was in flux (Donnie out, Nico in) to NOT offer JB the max extension. The Mavs internal belief at that time was they would have the chance to trade him at the TDL but if they didn't he would be gone in FA. The Mavs had gotten the sense from JB and his camp more than a year before he left that he was angling for NYK. They gambled by thinking they could trade him. They failed to realize that no one in the league would trade for him because everyone knew he was going to NYK and would be a rental. 

The Mavs made massive mistakes with the JB situation, but by the time June rolled around it was WAY TOO LATE. The ship had sailed.

The effort to trade JB for #10 that summer corresponds to your scenario as well.  I think the other place they got outmaneuvered was the mistaken belief NY would need to deal with Dallas in a S&T.  The business of what we offered or whether we offered is just window dressing to save some PR face.  In the end, JB was gone either way.

It wouldn’t have been some massive asset, but there are some NY assets that would have come in handy right about now.  Since NY trades are the topic of the day, the other thing I’d mention is it appeared to me that Cuban tried to be ‘less childish’ than usual through this process.  Not saying he nailed it, but CAA is a massive agency and you never know when you might want to revisit trading for some of the people you were targeting in a Brunson S&T.  So, whether he was coached to grow up a little or figured it out on his own, I thought it was important that he didn’t throw his usual tantrum.