Speaker 1: What is up, fellow Siko's I am BAF family coming
at you with the one, the only, the certified, fantabulous,
mister Grant Hughes. We continue our off season look aheads
for every team. If you haven't done so already. If
this is your first time listening watching us, subscribe go
check out all of our off season look aheads. There's
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come talk about these off season look aheads. The link
to that's in the podcast and YouTube description. Before we
hop into some Dallas Mavericks talk, Grant, do you have
anything that you would like to get off your chest?
Speaker 2: I'm just excited to see how we can get Kobe
White and Al Horford onto the Mavericks like we have
for every other team so far.
Speaker 1: Here's what you do? You trade Cooper flag?
Speaker 2: Yeah, that'll do it. So they'll do it.
Speaker 1: This is the sort of the I don't know if
it's defining, but kind of the off season shaping question
I find myself asking and I wasn't expecting to ask it. Grant,
does getting Cooper Flag change the haves his offseason approach
at all, and it does change it, but to what
extent and how.
Speaker 2: So you your phrasing uses the word does, And I
will say the answer to that framing is probably not.
If the word word should. Should getting the number one
pick change the Dallas Mavericks offseason plans? The answer is
absolutely it should. It should change them, like thoroughly, Like
there should be a complete reorganization of what you're trying
to do as a team because you lucked into this pick,
right like what Like, I just I think it absolutely
has to. And like, honestly, if well, there's a whole
road to go down, if like if other management were
in charge, first of all, the situation would be different.
But like if it were not the group that changed
the team so so wildly by trading Luca, you would
say like, oh, yeah, they're gonna just they're gonna totally
start over, right like or something close to that.
Speaker 3: But I don't.
Speaker 2: I don't think that's what Dallas is going to do
because because what so I know there's more to get to.
What would it what would be the first thing you
would do if you were like, you're what is what
is bullet point number one on your off season two
do list. If you're Dallas and you know you got
the first.
Speaker 1: Pick, trade Anthony Davis.
Speaker 2: Correct, that is the only answer. I agree with you,
and I don't think they're going to do that. So
now we can move on. We can move to the
next part of the run through.
Speaker 1: Do you buy though before we want to get into that,
I just want to get the Cooper Flag stuff out
of the way element of it. Yeah, The reporting is
they're going to keep the pick, which I think that's
the right decision at least, and I'm assuming they will
use said pick on Cooper Flag. Do you think is
there like any player that would get you, as Dallas
thing here that you could talk yourself into saying this
will probably lower the bar bit. The Mavericks can say
whatever they want right now, but Nico Harrison would definitely
think about moving this pick for player What who I mean?
Speaker 2: So you have to start with Giannis would spark a
conversation even that that's kind of dumb because Kyrie is
not going to play for most of next year, So
what do you what are you doing?
Speaker 1: And by the way, if you're not moving Kyrie or
Anthony Davis, which I'm not, if you're trading Cooper Flag,
you probably shouldn't because you're all in on Now how
many players are you giving up to get Yannis then?
And that's right, so Kyrie's out till January at least,
and then you give it up four of your rotation
players to get Johanness in there.
Speaker 2: So but what about going the other way and like
the Spurs or the Sixers say we'll give you our
second slash third pick and a bunch of young guys,
or there's like someone out there is willing to offer
you a couple unprotected in the future, and it's a
team that, like you, have reasonablieve shorting their future is
a good idea like that actually, because of what you
pointed about pointed out about any like high dollar incoming
salaries like it make it would almost make more sense
if you just you're not convinced Flag is who everyone
says he is. You think the difference between the number
one and the number two or three is not as
big as everyone says it is, and you think getting
more assets is the way to go, Like, I think
that you could sell me on that a little bit
better than you could on we think we're The right
move is to go get Kevin Durant or Giannis or whatever. Like,
it's just like not that any you'd ever trade number
one for Durant, But you know what I mean, Like
doesn't it would make more sense if you just differed
from consensus on Flag and capitalize on that by getting
a bunch of other young assets and draft capital. But like,
I think the consensus on Flag is probably just right,
So maybe you don't do that.
Speaker 1: Is this what if Charlotte came and so we will
give you LaMelo Ball an hour pick next year and
your pick next year back for number one?
Speaker 2: I think you got to think about that, right.
Speaker 1: That you could say, your own pick plus what do
they have this year? Number six? Five? What they have
they four?
Speaker 3: At Wow, Charlotte, that would be pretty sure.
Speaker 1: Yeah, so four and Lamela Ball and Dallas's own pickback
from Cooper Flag Dallas would have to do that. I
think Charlotte would be what was like, what was going
on with the Hornets there? I'm Michael Jordan running them again?
Speaker 2: Right, Well, they get Cooper Flaggy I think they actually Dan,
I think both teams. So here's the problem. Charlotte should
definitely do that, like without hesitation. But well, I'm sure
they'll be pushed back on the without hesitation part. I
think you do that if you're Charlotte, would I think Dallas? Yeah,
that's a you gotta think about it. With Dallas, I'm
not sure. I'd have to think harder about it to
know whether that's like a no brainer. But I man,
because then you.
Speaker 1: Can take Yeah, so their own pick, sorry I meant
to say their own pick back in twenty seven, so
you would have your next two draft picks in addition
to la mellow ball and number four. Semi interesting, right.
The other one, this is I think this came from
one of our colleagues at Bleacher Report, was what if
you traded Cooper Flag for Jason Tatum and then you
go through the entire gat no Kyrie, not Tatum. Then
you have your own pick next year, and then you
run back in twenty twenty seven with another high lottery pick, Tatum,
Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis.
Speaker 2: I uh that would that? Would that allow the Mavericks
to capitalize on the very end of their what is
it a three to five year timeline?
Speaker 1: I think Jason Tatum's a little too young for that, right.
I think Kevin Durant is more Nico Hammon.
Speaker 2: Win now they want to win right now? God, this
fuck's so stupid. What if can the Spurs do any
if it were Castle and two and something else? Does
Dallas bite at that? Castle is probably not like I
would high enough level prospect for that.
Speaker 1: I would need like so many more picks as part
of that, and maybe Devin Vessel as well.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so I was going.
Speaker 1: Through the exercise. Yeah, the Charlotte Dee was the only
one I could think, and I actually don't if I'm Charlotte.
That's just I know the MAVs pick is more valuable
to the MAVs than anybody else, So they're in fury,
not going to be bad in twenty twenty seven. You
owned the pick, but I don't know. Number three, number
four and LaMelo. For me, it seems like a lot.
But that was the only interesting one I could come
up with. I think this lets us get into so
we could talk about Okay, now we're they actually gonna
do this offseason. They're Vitals, so they are around one
point one million dollars into the second Apron after winning
their draft lottery. So that's the part of this is that, Yeah,
you're happy you have Cooper Flag, You've now gotten more
inflexible because the cop hold goes up. This does assume
that Kyrie and Dwight Powell pick up their player options.
Dwight Powell has the four million dollar player option. I
assume he'll pick it up unless he's gonna opt out
and they're gonna give him a one plus one and
a lower number. The Kyrie stuff is interesting, so I
think we should kind of start there. But as a note,
if Dallas is looking to cut costs, they're eighteen million
dollars plus into the tax overall, So like that would
be if this team doesn't want to pay the tax
because Kyrie's injured and they have Cooper Flag and they
feel like they're not resetting but they need a quasi
gap year, that's the number that you would look at
them trying to shed, which is difficult to do spoiler alert.
But Kyrie, what is the like, what's the move for him?
What's the right move for the MAVs. Does it opt
in and extend, does it opt out sign at a
lower average annual value over a longer time?
Speaker 2: What is it? I think my first thought is he
should just pick up just exercise the player option, which
is like what forty three I can't remember what the
number is.
Speaker 1: His option comes in at forty three point four of
a billion dollars.
Speaker 2: I believe my first thought would be picking up rehab
that everybody seems to like the twenty six free agency
scenario better than this one, and just go back out
there and assume that your earning power is still in
the like thirty five to forty million a year range,
maybe higher depending on how short or long the deal is,
and you just do that. But like, there might be
a lot to be said for him, let alone Dallas
in locking down like as much long term money as
you can right now, even if that's like at a
diminished annual rate, particularly if you're like into the near
and mid term future of this team, as Kyrie like,
I'd like to be here with AD and Flag and
we think I think Flag will be ready to help,
like immediately. I still think I would pick it up
and then hit free agency. I wouldn't be surprised though,
if he's like, if you guys can do three year,
I'll opt out three years and one hundred and forty
something like that. I think there's a lot of sense
in him doing something like that.
Speaker 1: So I wonder if you're the MAVs and I was
wrong about Kyrie Irving's player option by the way, it's
forty three million off forty three point four. I wonder
if you're the MAVs you look at this and say,
Kyrie's not going to play it at least January. Cooper
Flag is a rookie. We think he's ready to help
right away, but he's also a rookie, so you kind
of want to give him time and space to see
what he is and what he can do. If you
consider next year a semi gap year, would it be
worth it for the match to say opt in, we
will give you this number now, like at forty three,
and then would you sign a three year ninety million
dollars engine So it's sort of ninety plus the forty
three that ends up being for four years and one
hundred and thirty four million, which is kind of close
to the number that you threw out or you were
saying three years, is it three years and one hundred
million after that? So that what you've done then is
lowered his average annual value at a time when you should,
in theory be more aggressive, because one, you kind of
have to be better since you're picking twenty twenty seven
goes to Charlotte. But also just I'm just very it's
not just the Kyrie Irving injuries that Okay, Cooper Flag
is now the central part of your team, and what
is he supposed to look like or do in year one?
I know Anthony Davis is there, I know the supporting
cast is fairly deep, but I wonder if they end
up viewing this as sort of a miniature gap season
to explore the Cooper Flag space and then that would
be the impetus for But we'll extend Kyrie or we'll
keep his number high in year one of this current
deal so that it starts to lower as there will
be under more pressure and better position to add talent.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean the way that Dallas has behaved, I
don't they don't feel like a gap year team.
Speaker 1: To me and the games is just how does Antony
Davis feel about a gap year when he's not injured?
At least?
Speaker 2: You right, and like we I I doesn't it feel
like do you think it's more likely that as okay
gap year? On one hand, other hand, is you go
swing a deal for Drew Holliday or some other player
of that ILK giving up definitely a center since you've
got plenty of front court options now and PJ. Washing
we've talked about you, You've mentioned Gafford and Washington. Is
the core of a Drew Holiday trade like doesn't? Do
you think that scenario is more likely where you're adding
like a third veteran, like high end player. Well, your
miles may vary on the current version of Holiday, but
someone like that to go with Ad to be ready
in a over you know, next next year, for Kyrie
to be back and then flags a year better and
that's your that's your like core four and you maybe
get a year or two out of that before age
starts to get the the older guys.
Speaker 1: I do think that would be more I'm not saying obviously,
we're not saying that specific deal, but if you're asking
me whether the MAVs would go through a gap year
versus are they gonna consolidate and try and land somebody,
I think the latter is more likely, And I think
that kind of touches upon their biggest need, which is
it's another ball handler, because they don't I mean, would
you could say Cooper Flag could be one, Like, you
need another primary ball handler, and preferably it's a player
who can also play with Kyrie because he will come back.
And I know Kyrie could play off anybody, but you
want someone who will be strong. I know Luca wasn't
strong defensively, but if they're not gonna have great size,
it'll be like this six foot eight inch point guard.
You want them to be someone like Jew Holliday who
is fine playing off the ball and can be a
defensive monster still. And that's like, you know, getting away
from I know they've been a team that a lot
of people said, like Derek White would make so much
sense for them, and I don't disagree. I just don't
know if they have the asset firepower to go in
there and do it. Because they could trade up to
three first round picks this year. One of those is
Cooper Flag, so the Lakers twenty twenty nine and then
Dallas's own twenty thirty one or twenty thirty two. I
don't think that's enough, Like the bones of that as
a deal, I think you're setting your sites lower than
Derek White, right, Like, I don't know that does that
get you Derek White. I mean, if it's PJ. Washington,
like you're you would have to get into third team
because I'm besueing Boston wants to cut off money there.
But if it's PJ. Washington and two first for Derek White,
and I don't think that's getting it done.
Speaker 2: No, I think you're probably right about that. I think
that gets the holiday would just be easier to get
I don't think you're getting White with that package unless
and the Maps can't do this. You could send back
like somehow way less money and it's like waveable or
expires or whatever, and that's a huge value to the
Celtics who are going to try to get cheaper. But
failing that, I just think there will be way better
offers for Derek White than what Dallas can put on
the table. I think I.
Speaker 1: Would agree, maybe not even way because those picks are
pretty far out, but I would agree with you that
I think there would be better offers. I don't know
that there's like a lot of other names that would
bring to mind here, and like, yeah, you could bring
Spencer Dinwidie back, or if you wanted to look at oh,
could they sign a Malcolm Brogden as a stop gap,
but also maybe someone who could play alongside Kyrie when
he's back. But like, I don't like when you start
to go through the list of available trade targets, and
certainly when looking at the free agents, it's all right, like, ok,
Dennis Shrewder, like maybe that would work for a little bit,
but like there's no one that like sort of pops
to me, is, oh, that would make sense for them
to see if they could. Because look, the other part
of the Cooper Flag thing is you already mentioned that
Daniel Gaffer going to the final year of his deal,
he's extension eligible, but he's also expendable because you're Derek
Lively and Anthony Davis with Cooper flaggets, does that PJ.
Washington in August, I think you could sign an extension
for four years eighty nine point two million dollars. If
you're Dallas, do you offer that or are you trying
to use his expiring money in a trade because it's oh,
between him and Anthony Davis and we have Nagee Marshall too,
is he somewhat expendable and maybe someone who has a
little bit of standalone valu value so that we could
move him as part of a trade. You know, you
threw out Drew Holliday. I just I'm trying to figure
out like another name that would just sort of make
sense here where it's okay, this really fits what they
need now, but then it's also will continue to fit
like the roster once Kyrie Irving is back.
Speaker 2: I think like just keeping Washington at that rate kind
of makes more makes more sense, right, because you do
need a guy like that to to sort of like
fit in between what you've got up front with Davis
and Flag and well, I don't know. Yeah, that that
raises the question of like, well, what position is Davis
gonna play and Flag? Because then if like with PJ,
Washington has to be your three or you're like a
two kind of like a giant two in your best line.
Speaker 1: Boys line up with people?
Speaker 2: Yeah, in that point guard, I mean, I don't know.
I kind of as I talk it out, I don't
hate the I think Washington can guard a lot of
two is probably, but like that that's just a weird configuration.
Where are we on? This is a more global question,
someone like we'll just use Washington? Is he he's more
valuable if you do sign him to that extension as
opposed to trying to trade him as expiring salary unless
you find just unless it's a team that just desperately
needs salary relief, right, Like, it still is the case
that adding years and dollars to somebody makes them a
better trade candidate unless you go overboard, right I think, especially.
Speaker 1: Because at four years and ninety, what is the average
annual value of twenty two point five that's a yeah,
that's solid number for him. That's like what twelve percent
of the salary cap or the moving forward.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think the expire the expiring salary angle would
have to be like, it's just a way bigger number
than what he's making for them to have the discussion
of is the more valuable expiring and he would have
to be a worse player too, probably.
Speaker 1: Do you do you sign any value to Okay, let's
say they can't get like maybe it's just we'll bring
Spencer Dinwide back and we'll try to fill some of
the ball handling, like just on the fly as you go. Maybe,
like again, Cooper Flagg could do a lot of that,
and that would be a great way to kind of
test the depths of what he's able to do. So
if you can't get someone who you think can run
the show in like for longer stretches of time, does
acquiring more bankable shooting help offset that at all? To
where should they be a Cam Johnson team or should
they be trying to get in on I mean, as
of right now, they don't even have the Miniamalida offer,
but it's like a like should they be getting in
I'm like a Gary Trent junior or Moleague Beasley somehow
we're just trying to like trying to buy low on
a Simoni Fontechio or like going that route, because it's
kind of slim pickens when you're looking at the actual
floor generals, especially if we're narrowing the criteria to say
who can also play next to Kyrie Irving.
Speaker 2: Whicheah comes back, I would just say that I think
because of the positional stuff that's gonna be complicated with,
Like the three, four and five minutes are like pretty
well spoken for. So I do think you need shooting,
and it probably needs to be backcourt shooting, and that
can be a two to three like ideally that can
guard you know, more than one position. But if you're
not gonna be able to get someone that is, you know,
a Kyrie stand in or like a a I don't know.
We given up on Jayden Hardy? Are we done? Are
we done?
Speaker 1: There?
Speaker 2: As a as a possibility, I feel.
Speaker 1: Like they would be more likely to turn to Max Christie.
Speaker 2: For I forgot Max Christie's on this team. I love
Max Christie. Oh this team is how many you throw
him in?
Speaker 1: Yark White? Deal? Maybe Max Christie into first and PG?
Speaker 2: You got my attention, You've definitely got my attention. Is
Dallas gonna win sixty games next year? I forgot about
Max Christie. We need to scrap this whole thing and
start over lead with him?
Speaker 1: Uh?
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's got to be I mean, it's just got
to be a guard. And like I guess, I I
don't think you get away with not adding significant playmaking
though even with Flag maybe being okay at that and
even with Davis, like I guess, you know, the Lakers
tried to use him as more of a hub for
a minute there. I don't think you're gonna survive offensively
without someone you know, making plays and running the offense
and shooting. So yeah, that's got to be the focus.
Speaker 1: Is there something too? And it would require you're gonna
need a third team. Probably well, I mean LA could
take back more money. I just don't know if the deal.
But bog Doug Bogdanovich for Daniel Gafford plus salary. I
guess the challenge is Dallas. So Daniel Gafford's at what
fourteen next year and Bogdanovic, Oh, butomcially at sixteen?
Speaker 2: Oh this is sound?
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, so you just send out you would send
out Daniel Gafford And can you you could go super
small with the salary or is it can you pay
someone or even wo LA consider just taking on the
Dwight Powell four million dollars? So can you compensate Brooklyn
to take on the four million? Or is it do
you trade Omax in that deal? Like do you look
at that? Or would you consider Jaden Hardy and Gafford
for both Don Bogdanovich? Is that something? Is that too
much for the mass? But that might be a sort
of a we're not giving up any picks. Bogdanovich had
a rocky year last year. He was much better when
he went to LA. Was up and down during the playoffs,
but not a primary ball handler. You could certainly put
him on the ball, and he can definitely play off Kyrie,
and I think he's at this point, peak Bogdanovich is
more dynamic than peak Klay Thompson.
Speaker 2: Right, Oh my god, there's yeah, there are a lot
of like U standing furniture that's more dynamic than Klay
Thompson right.
Speaker 1: Spoken like an aggrieved Warriors.
Speaker 2: I'm not agreed it was the right decision to.
Speaker 1: Let him go.
Speaker 2: I think, like, I don't know, it's interesting, Like I
think I think you would do that if you're the MAVs,
even though you could make the case that Gafford is
like just in a vacuum, maybe more valuable than Bogdanovich,
especially pricing in Bogdanovich's inconsistent season and the knees and
all that stuff, But like he immediately becomes the team's
best ball handler, right if he's on the MAVs. Like,
who am I forgetting? So you're just working, You're dealing
from a position of strength, which is your bloated front court,
and addressing a position of weakness, which is a backcourt
that just does not have a lot. So I think
you gotta do that, And honestly, I think the Clippers
might be like yeah, we would love to have like
real size behind zobots uh and that you probably can't
play them together. You definitely, Oh, oh my god, I
hope the big Yeah, now, I think I think that
makes sense. I like that one. But yeah, that's the
caliber of player that you're talking about. Though, if you're
trying to keep the deal small and pick free, is
like you gamble on Bogdanovic being healthy and like starting
maybe like yess, that's a lot.
Speaker 1: That's a lot. Another one I was thinking of a
work and tractually obligated to send this player to every team? Hm,
would you do? Gafford Christie and I don't like, I
guess you would need the Lakers pick for Kobe White
and Lonzo Ball. You can send White palette of Chicago.
Speaker 2: Too, I think so. But then you've got the same
issue Chicago does, where it's like you can't extend White
off that number and you're going to face on restricted
free agencies and then and then.
Speaker 3: Iri is just that's that's real.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's the they have the defense of, Like Kayla
Martin still on this team, Naji Marshall, If you're keeping PJ. Washington,
Anthony Davis, Derek Lively Cooper Flag. You have the defensive
infrastructure to make that work.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think you could. Your point of attack will
suck probably, but yeah, you've got enough behind it that
you could you could make it work. Yeah. We were like,
that's the first NAUSEI Marshall mentioned too, I keep forgetting
all these guys that Dallas has that like, I actually
really like they.
Speaker 1: Have a lot of good players. They do, they just
well because then you're still left at gaffer. I was like,
would you be any better off? Like if you could
get Kobe White while giving up Klay Thompson and you're
just attaching picks, like that would be the way because
then all of a sudden, it's, oh, we're keeping Max Christie,
so we have that point of attack option. Might be
something for them because it just feels Kyrie has to
get paid, Kobe White has to get paid, and there
is redundancy there even if they could play together. But
also it's is an offense. Shouldn't that be where you're
tripling down anyway? With the Cooper Flyer is not going
to be expensive for a while. Derek Wively stills two
years left on his rookie scale, so maybe you do
do that, Like is there Klay Thompson like using that
money as the anchor, and then what picks and what
other stuff might need to be included to make it work.
Speaker 2: And then I like that a lot better too if
you could get Kyrie back on like a one plus
one or something, so you're not like, well for the
next because assuming you bring White back after you've traded
for him, which were like two hypothetical steps down the road, now,
like you're not locked into White and Kyrie as like
this is the backcourt for three or four years. It's
just it's kind of like Kyrie's there, maybe he's I mean, realistically,
he will not be what he was coming off in
ACL at this age, Like you go another guaranteed year
with him and then you're back to the player option.
Maybe maybe not. I think all of that makes more
sense if you're not fully in on Kyrie, you know,
for the next four years or whatever.
Speaker 1: One thing that could be interesting, and I think it
would require the Pistons making another move or deciding that hey,
they're not their guy. If you are looking for a
stop gap, like this could be a semi interesting Jade
and Ivy team Like this sort of a second draft guy.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean I like Jade and Ivy in that
capacity on a lot of teams. I think it would
really stress test a lot of the stuff. We're not
sure Ivy's good. You know, if you put him in
that in like a real like on the ball a
lot roll withah with me, Yeah, I mean.
Speaker 3: That would be that would be tough. But yeah, you
he might.
Speaker 2: He's someone that the again, the highs and the flashes
and stuff are like, yeah, it might be worth worth
a flyer for sure.
Speaker 1: The I think this person that it's another Celtic. We're
gonna trade all the Celtics. I think this contract is
too valuable to Boston given where they're headed. But Peyton
Pritchard here would make a ton of sense, especially in
the interim with that, and that's someone who could also
defend as well.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I I don't mind him next to Kyrie
for that reason. Yeah, that's interesting. That gets you. I
mean that like super charges, you're you're shooting right, because
like he's he's one of the guys that's pulling up
from super deep creating a bunch of space. That that's
a fun one if you're if you're Boston, though, like
Pritchard Pritchard. I feel like, is this is someone you
include in with another of your higher salar guys to
really bring something back. But I don't know, maybe not.
Maybe they'll just take maybe.
Speaker 1: Drew Holliday, Peyton Pritchard, construction that's involved a little bit here,
Gafford and Washington, and then I don't know what the
other money is, Like you're giving up Christy. Can you
get Kayleb Martin to Brooklyn instead? That would be Then
all of a sudden, it's Drew Holiday, Kyrie Irving and
Peyton Bridge, a lot of former Celtics in all former
Celtics in Metrio at that.
Speaker 2: Not the worst approach considering how good Boston's been for
like ten years, right, take all those guys.
Speaker 1: I think of all the names that I've thrown out there,
and we do this all off the cuff. I've decided
this year not to come in with targets like we
prep with the cap situations. We know all that, But
I was like, let me just come in and throw
some names. I think Peyton Pritchard is my favorite one.
I just don't know what you give up to get him.
If you're taking back Drew Holiday maybe that's considered part
of the compensation, but yeah, you definitely need to rope
in other teams. And you're talking about taking back forty
million dollars, So that's like like Clay and PJ doesn't
even get you there.
Speaker 2: If you're gonna have to have Gafford too, I mean
you could. So if you end up, if you're Dallas
and you've ended up with Pritchard and Holiday, you have
Irving recovering, you still have Christie in in this hypothetical,
and probably Marshall you're probably out, Washington, Thompson, Gafford, you
still have Lively flag age. This team is good.
Speaker 1: Yeah, if they get.
Speaker 2: If they get pritchered in a Holiday, which is like
I don't know, there's a two percent chance that happens,
just because we're spitballing, Like I think they would win
a lot of games like this. They have a lot
I don't know what, just as you can't trade Luca
and then potentially win like like fifty plus sixty games.
That seems unreasonable. But Dallas has I think the takeaway
here is Dallas has a lot of movable like salary
that gives it quite a bit more flexibility than maybe
we than I thought like at first, Blush.
Speaker 1: I would agree with you. And I have two final
quick questions, the Kevin Durant stuff, if you can do
without getting Cooper Flag and so now you're step laddering
your way with what four contracts? And then are the
Suns taking like just the Lakers pick or maybe just
your distant pick if you're Dallas or you considering that
if you can, if you can say hey, we're gonna
sit here and end up with Derek Lively, Anthony Davis,
Cooper Flag, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at some point,
maybe not until February, or is that you you know,
you say it's gutting too much of their depth, but
look at all the like name, all the support Clay
Naji Marshall, PJ. Washington, Daniel Gafford, Kayla Martin, Max Christi.
They go six deep of just like, oh, those guys
would be in a playoff rotation, right Yeah? No, I.
Speaker 2: I don't know. I don't know why I feel differently
about Pritchard and Holiday, like liking that versus not liking Duran.
Speaker 1: I prefer that route just because it's more bodies.
Speaker 2: It's more bodies, and it's the positions that you actually need,
Whereas if you're gonna add another guy who can really
only play the four or the five, at this point,
it's like, well, at some point you're just not You
just can't play all your best players, and that's like
a diminishing return situation. I I don't think I want
to be in the Durant business. If I'm Dallas, I don't.
Speaker 1: Know it's three mega salaries unless kyriees are gonna drop
precipitously after next year, or maybe Kevin Durant his next contract.
Maybe that's lower than we expect. I agree with you.
So my final question is they have a lot of options,
but we're kind of unsure of their direction. How much
of a priority do you think they won't be a
second Apron team? They're getting out of that, But how
much of a priority do you think it'll be to
continue to trim just like your tax bill in general.
So as the numbers that I threw out there is
they're eighteen million dollars above the tax I think I'd
be moderately surprised, but not even close to shocked if
it was they tried to do something that just saved them.
Can you send Gafford? He makes more than the mid level,
so that gets a little tricky. But can you just
send Gafford somewhere for minimum money back and then maybe
lop off another middle rung salary and duct attacks that way?
Is it? Do you reevaluate at the trade deadline where
that would be harder to do, but you have until
the end of the year to duck the tax. I
just think this team is deep and it can be good.
But unless they're gonna make like kind of an all
in trade, which neither of us would indoors. Yeah, I
don't like, they're not a team you want to be
into the tax for right.
Speaker 2: I don't think so. And my first thought was gonna be, well,
maybe you just wait till the deadline, like we talk
about all this stuff like it has to happen before
the season opener or whatever. But like if the if
the goal is so, I would say, if they're gonna
do that, if they're gonna say like, let's just get
let's let's take the repeater stuff out of the equation,
let's get under the tax, you you gotta do that now,
because you can't assume Brooklyn's gonna have you know, tens
of millions of dollars of space to facilitate a dump
like that in February. So I think we'll understand their
feelings on the tax soon, because you can't wait and
expect to really do that as effectively get out of
the tax. I mean, how concerned should they be? I
mean that ties into just a much bigger question of like,
we know what they say their timeline is, but like, realistically,
are you gonna be a really expensive contender with Davis
and a healthy Kyrie and someone else you bring in
over the next half decade or are you eventually going
to realize you need to just reorient this thing around
flag and at which point, like you'll probably be under
the tax anyway, you know. So I think it should matter,
but only if they're going the route of like we're
kind of stripping down and doing a bigger reset with
a Davis trade, for example. But because I don't think
they'll do that. I also don't think they're going to
really go nuts about trimming money just.
Speaker 1: Because anything else on these mavericks are you ready takes
out of here?
Speaker 2: Just that they're way better than we thought they were
since having talked a lot of town.
Speaker 3: They're bad.
Speaker 1: They're just in such a weird spot. It's it's the
word is. It's weird. It's awkward. And I do think
it's fair to say their front office does not deserve
the benefit of doubt.
Speaker 2: No, I don't. I think it's gonna be time before the.
Speaker 1: Front office in Executive of the year until like leading
could trade too.
Speaker 2: So yeah, right up until something happened. So yeah, yeah,
So that was that was an interesting one. Thanks everybody
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