[BGMaverick9]

Sigh...

Well, they have different directions they can go. IMO, I think they have quite a few assets to use to retool this roster. It's just a matter of which way they want to go with them. I think Cuban needs to get aggressive and pretty much say "Whatever it takes.." We usually try to lowball or be cute with trade proposals, now isn't the time for that b/c the end result will be overvaluing our guys and we're basically with the same roster all over again.

Kidd and the PG position? I would bring him back and I think he is decision #1 they have to make and stay firm on in the offseason. I think you bring him back. I know he does things that don't always wow you but he brings a ton to this team. I don't think he's part of the problem. The problem is that we don't have enough to go with him and Dirk. That was the problem when the Kidd deal went down. Yes, they gave up a lot to get him but they didn't follow through and bring another wing player to go along side with them. They went ahead and gave Josh more time and the experiment really didn't work to end last season and Josh has been hurt this year to really develop it more.

If you can't bring him back you've really gotta push hard to get guys like Felton, Sessions or Hinrich on this roster to fill the void. Straight up, none of them bring the full value that Kidd brings but they help. If Kidd stays a Maverick I think you still look at a PG in the draft to groom for the future. I wouldn't be surprised if they get some calls on JJ as well, he's shown some value as well and the price-tag isn't terrible on him. The Kidd decision is going to have an impact on JJ one way or another.

Dirk will have a decision as well. I don't really think it's in his nature to demand a deal out of town...but it's in the realm of possibilities. Maybe the issues that have been going on as of late make him say he wants a clean slate and wants to go somewhere else. It's obviously been a tough personal stretch for him but professionally he had a really stellar year. It doesn't take much to realize he needs more weapons besides him. Dallas just needs to get him more weapons.

Josh? I think I'm selling on him for good. He was huge at the end of the year and was a nice part of the stretch run. He definitely battled through the pain but injuries just seem to be a lingering problem with him. It's always going to be something with him I think. I'm just tired of the inconsistency on performance and even more so with the inconsistency on if he'll even see the court.

Jet? I think they'd consider shopping him but I don't think in this market that they'll find a taker. I'd be incredibly surprised if he was dealt...not that it's a bad surprise, it's just that was a really bad playoff run for him. Around the time he got hurt or a little before he just wasn't the same Jet.

Stack, Carroll and Damp ALL fall in the sell mode. Carroll can actually be packaged in a deal now and his contract gets easier to swallow but Damp and Stack are the big prizes that teams would look for in a deal. With Stack and Damp you really could make a push for Shaq or someone like Chandler. For some reason, I really think Shaq is going to wind up here in the summer...it's just a matter of how much we have to give up to get him. I think Dallas will want to bring him in as a 2nd Tier kind of move, so they'd use most or a good part of their assets to get the top tier move out of the way (probably a SG or swing player) and then leave the rest to get someone like Shaq. If that happens, I still want Hollins to be a part of the roster and I think that's somewhat likely of happening. He just needs to keep working on controlling his energy and developing more on defense. I'm not worried about the offense right now...just make people scared to try to bring stuff in the paint, Hollins.

It's interesting that Chandler and Shaq are targets because I think Phoenix and New Orleans might be interested in discussing a deal for their Centers. The problem at the deadline with Dallas pushing for Chandler was that Dallas is a major threat in the division for NO so that pretty much left that deal idea dead. Phoenix is in the conference but they're a team in limbo so it might not be as big of a risk and they're getting nice relief in the process. It still doesn't make total sense from an offensive standpoint because Amare and Chandler are finishers and will want the same spots on the court...same problem as before with Phoenix.

Bass vs Singleton? If you can keep Singleton on the cheap side, then I don't think it's an issue. I think he's just an energy guy and end of the bench material for now. Bass should be able to be retained because we can offer quite a bit of money to him and it won't dip into our major assets. The only way we get in trouble is if some team decides to really overpay for him...but again, in this market I don't think it's very likely. Bass might be a piece you have to decide on if you do a Shaq deal though. Phoenix will take salary relief but they want some talent coming in return also. So the decision might need to be made on him.

Wright will be better used as a bench player/glue guy so we need to bring more wing talent in the fold. You can do that either via trades or the MLE. If you look at trades the main players I'd look at are Caron Butler, Gerald Wallace, Stephen Jackson, and Richard Jefferson. You can easily look at a salary dump move for Butler, just find whatever pieces Washington wants to make that happen. You'll have to make tougher decisions on pieces to move to get the rest of the guys and more than likely Josh has to be involved in the deal.

For the MLE you have to try to go big with someone like Artest. I don't really think he'll bite on the offer but there is a chance he could for 1 year and wait for the teams in 2010 for the big pay-day. Another option with the MLE is Ariza. I don't know if he would step up more in a scoring role (iffy) but he will bring some grit and defense. He's shown he can be a factor on a championship contending team. With all of that said, I still think Wright has a part on this roster. He might've been a disappointment to some but I think he was having to play a role that was a little too much for him to handle on a consistent basis.

If, for whatever reason, they use the MLE for backups...I'd look for more Bigs, guys like McDyess maybe even Sheldon Williams. Either way, we'll need more big bodies to help protect the paint as well, especially if basically keep the same front line we have now.

The time to love and overvalue this roster/core is beyond over now, It's time to let a good group of this team separate.
Keep Dirk and Kidd for sure and bring in stars, pitbulls, support..whatever you want to call it, bring them in for Dirk and Kidd.
Whatever it takes...