Chinanu Onuaku - what was the point?

[MFFL]

Why did we bother to help Houston?

Houston saved money by trading the player rather than paying the luxury tax bill that would have been incurred by cutting him.

We gained the ability to move around PERHAPS a couple of spots in the late second round. If it was Boston or some other elite team then sure, why not? But this was fucking Houston! I hate the Rockettes. Why would we help them?

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/dallas-mavericks
While the Mavs’ acquisition of Onuaku may look pointless now that he’s being released, it essentially represented a no-cost opportunity to move up a few spots in the second round of the 2020 draft. The Rockets are reportedly covering Onuaku’s salary with cash as part of the trade, with the Mavs giving up the rights to a player who will likely never play in the NBA. Dallas will get the chance to swap the Warriors’ 2020 second-round pick for Houston’s second-rounder.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by MFFL

But this was fucking Houston! I hate the Rockettes. Why would we help them?

I mean, why not? It's not like we helped their odds of winning a ring, we just saved them a little money while maintaining a solid business relationship... We actually do minor trades with Houston all the time -- last year we sent both Liggins and Uthoff to them for cash considerations. I don't see any harm in deals that don't move the needle.

[MavzMan]

There are only 30 teams in the league. If you refuse to do any kind of business with some of them, you are hurting your own team just as much.

[MFFL]

Originally Posted by MavzMan

There are only 30 teams in the league. If you refuse to do any kind of business with some of them, you are hurting your own team just as much.

But we didn't GAIN anything. I can see helping out other teams to a degree and certainly players

But this was the Rockettes. Why help a team in your division? If we had gained something then sure but we didn't

I can't see a situation where the Bull or Pistons would help the Cavs

[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by MFFL

But we didn't GAIN anything. I can see helping out other teams to a degree and certainly players

But this was the Rockettes. Why help a team in your division? If we had gained something then sure but we didn't

I can't see a situation where the Bull or Pistons would help the Cavs

This is a gain down the line. Wait for it. Huge implications bro

[MFFL]

Originally Posted by SMC0007

This is a gain down the line. Wait for it. Huge implications bro

I'm sure the Rockets will take care of us one day...

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by MFFL

I'm sure the Rockets will take care of us one day...

Like I mentioned earlier, they took Liggins and Uthoff off our hands last year -- which did us the favor of finding a landing spot for two guys we liked, but couldn't keep... Nothing wrong with building a little goodwill. Other teams notice.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Cuban feels bad about that Paul contract...

[MFFL]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Like I mentioned earlier, they took Liggins and Uthoff off our hands last year -- which did us the favor of finding a landing spot for two guys we liked, but couldn't keep... Nothing wrong with building a little goodwill. Other teams notice.

No they didn't. The Rockets WANTED a number of players with non-guaranteed contracts in order to trade for Chris Paul

We actually helped them last year too

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/?s=Uthoff+
Rockets appeared to be taking on players with non-guaranteed 2017/18 salaries in order to use them to match salaries in their acquisition of Chris Paul. DeAndre Liggins and Darrun Hilliard were eventually included in that deal with the Clippers

[EricaLubarsky]

I hate the Rockets as much as anyone, but I find no resonance with this argument. We didn't gift them star players. We literally did as little as we could. We got something tiny for a tiny amount of cap space.

[thewizard]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

I hate the Rockets as much as anyone, but I find no resonance with this argument. We didn't gift them star players. We literally did as little as we could. We got something tiny for a tiny amount of cap space.

Yeah and the cap space was use it or lose it anyway. If we didn't do the trade the cap space would disappear anyway once we signed Mejri and Harris and whoever else is left. We used a minimal asset to get a minimal asset in return. It's not like Onuaku was a huge contract they needed to get out from under, if they didn't do the trade with us they'd find someone else willing to do it. And like someone said earlier they've helped us out in the past with fringe players like taking Uthoff for cash last summer.

This topic is a non-issue IMO.

[Me.B]

Originally Posted by MFFL

But we didn't GAIN anything. I can see helping out other teams to a degree and certainly players



But this was the Rockettes. Why help a team in your division? If we had gained something then sure but we didn't



I can't see a situation where the Bull or Pistons would help the Cavs

The Rockets are trying to clear space to sign Melo. Trust me, the Mavs were are NOT trying to help them get better. If they sign Melo they are guaranteed to lose in the 1st round. There is only 1 curse bigger than the Kardashian curse and that having Melo on your team.

[FreshJive]

Originally Posted by MFFL

But we didn't GAIN anything. I can see helping out other teams to a degree and certainly players

But this was the Rockettes. Why help a team in your division? If we had gained something then sure but we didn't

I can't see a situation where the Bull or Pistons would help the Cavs

Is division really that important, anymore?

[Underdog]

Dallas Mavericks trade grade: Chinanu Onuaku deal with Rockets
https://thesmokingcuban.com/2018/08/...e-onuaku-deal/

Trade grade: C

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Dallas Mavericks trade grade: Chinanu Onuaku deal with Rockets
https://thesmokingcuban.com/2018/08/...e-onuaku-deal/

Is that accurate? Good sources have said that The trade was the ability to swap our second rounder (via GSW) with Rockets. No one had specified who chooses, but both picks are likely going to be 57-60 so even if Rockets get to pick they will either decline to trade down or trade up from 60 to like 58.

Trade makes no sense unless we pick

[thewizard]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Is that accurate? Good sources have said that The trade was the ability to swap our second rounder (via GSW) with Rockets. No one had specified who chooses, but both picks are likely going to be 57-60 so even if Rockets get to pick they will either decline to trade down or trade up from 60 to like 58.

Trade makes no sense unless we pick

Yeah this article has the trade wrong. Dallas owns the pick swap option. We get the right to trade Golden State's 2020 second rounder for Houston's 2020 second rounder, top 40 protected. As you mentioned the likely result is moving up from 60 to 57 or something similarly inconsequential. The most complicated nothing trade in NBA history.

[MFFL]

The Chinanu Onuaku trade between the Mavericks and Rockets was a minor deal on the surface, but included some interesting details, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders relays (Twitter links). Dallas will have the right to swap the Warriors’ 2020 second-round pick for the Rockets’ 2020 second-rounder, but that Houston pick is top-39 protected. If it ends up falling within the protected range, the Mavs will instead receive $500K from the Rockets. Additionally, the $1,544,951 in cash Houston is sending the Mavs in the trade to cover Onuaku’s salary will be paid out in 17 installments over the next year.

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/dallas-mavericks

[EricaLubarsky]

I love a trade that bets against the Rockets.

If the Rockets have a worse season than the Warriors then we upgrade our pick (unless the Rockets drop PRECIPITOUSLY into the high lottery in which case we get cash).