Dallas Mavericks Offseason Thread

[Nowitzki4President]

Originally Posted by sefant77

About VC:

Since Ratners Brooklyn plans are back alive and he plans to broke ground for the new arena in october i dont see them trading VC in a typical dumping trade.

They wanna give Lebron 2010 a nobrainer putting him in a straight up contender S5 (Harris-VC-James-Yi/Pick-Lopez), soon new arena and team, Jay-Z etc...

It's not wise to just assume LeBron is gonna end up there. He doesn't play there now, why should we assume he will be? Besides, LeBron will only move if the Cavs don't make any moves this off-season. They're kinda like us right now, they must make moves now, or else...

[SMC0007]

HAS to be HArden. Anything less wold be uncivilized!

[BGMaverick9]

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

Don't forget that JET's last year isn't fully guaranteed. Unless Washington is desperate to shed salary, I don't think JET's contract scares them off. If they are in need of larger immediate reductions, and you'd rather use Stack somewhere else, you could always see if they'd be open to expanding the deal to include Thomas and Carroll. That'd save them even more money immediately, and further reduce Dallas' 2010 obligations.

Agreed about Harden.

That's the thing I can't get a feel for with Washington. The fact that they can't seem to stay healthy and they're pretty much in the LT area and they didn't make the playoffs. They're being stubborn and saying we can do this, we just have to stay healthy. They didn't hire some scrub coach, they got a seasoned coach. It's like they're just waiting for everything to break right and have a season like New Orleans two years ago or maybe even Denver this year...the constant injuries go away for one year and you have a pretty darn good run.

Jet is a guy that would fit with the Wizards, if they want him to play the point he can do it and play off of Arenas. If they want Arenas to be the point, Jet can get free. If they really aren't scared of the money and are willing to do it, then I'd be down on 1-2 conditions. I wouldn't mind it if Stack were involved but it's again under the 1-2 conditions. Jet would seem to be the best route because you still have your move you can make somewhere else with Stack.

The conditions are pretty iffy based on the players involved. Rubio or Harden have to be there at 5 for me to be interested in the deal. Harden is really iffy because it seems like his stock is climbing big and that usually means he'll be gone. You don't usually luck out and have the stock climb high and then have the guy slip...at least I don't think so.

Rubio seems even more iffy but his stock actually seems to be slipping. That can either be good or just total spin. People seem to be down on all the drama surrounding his buyout and etc and that he lacks strength and has inconsistent shooting. The on the court assessments seem like spin but the buyout issues seem like they're valid. He probably won't go to Memphis and won't go to OKC so that leaves the Kings but they're apparently saying it's not a done deal that they would take him...I'm not sure why they would say that though, they need a PG.

Back to the point...#5 interests me highly if either of those two guys can slip.

[alby]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...-a-possibility

Five seasons ago, the Washington Wizards were coming off one of their worst seasons ever with a record of 25-57. General Manager Ernie Grunfeld knew he had do something to make Washington a playoff team.

So he decided to trade the team's fifth overall pick in the 2004 draft, along with Jerry Stackhouse and Christan Laettner, to Dallas for forward Antwan Jamison.

The trade worked out for both teams. Washington made the postseason four years in a row, and Jamison has made the All-Star team twice since he has been with Washington. Dallas was able to get a good young point guard in Devin Harris and good bench help from Stackhouse.
Later, Harris was traded to New Jersey, and he made the All-Star team for the first time this year, becoming an elite point guard in the league.

Five years later, Washington had one of their worst seasons ever this year with a record of 19-63. Now, Grunfeld has to make another big decision this off-season. Washington has the fifth overall pick, and their has been some talk about Grunfeld trading the pick as he did in 2004 to acquire Jamison.

Their has been talks that Dallas may be interested in moving up in the draft to acquire power forward Jordan Hill. According to reports, Washington and Dallas have talked about a trade in which Dallas would get the fifth pick, Mike James, and Etan Thomas, while Washington would get Jason Terry along with one of Dallas' expiring contracts.

If Washington is able to make this deal, this would give them a great backcourt of Gilbert Arenas and Terry. Terry would be a good player in Flip Saunders' new offense, as Saunders could use Terry to come off screens as Saunders did with Richard Hamilton in Detroit.

Dallas would save about $30 million by making this move, and this would give them some flexibility down the road.

If Washington wants to make a deep run in the playoffs next season, they have to put players around their big three, and maybe Terry could be the answer.

[chumdawg]

That dude might want to use some grammar check!

Anyway...the idea of trading Terry sounds better and better to me all the time. After all, he's got a big contract, if that's the angle we are playing.

[darkwitzki]

bye Terry..

[rmacomic]

Why would we trade Terry for a pick for a power forward? I can see the trade for a pick angle, but why go after another forward, we have enough I think.

[alby]

After reflecting back on the season, imagine if Antoine Wright had really wrapped up Melo, the series would have been 2-2 and who knows what would have happened? Maybe a WCF berth? Maybe a Finals berth?

Let's be grateful that those things didn't happen... Cuban and Co. would be flip flopping even more than they are now.

If you say you are going to break the bank and try to snag some marquee players.. then you already effed up by publicly playing that card. You can't just take it back, it makes you look like a fool.

[alby]

Nine years into it, I'm finally questioning this Cuban character we have as owner.

[Flacolaco]

You guys are seriously bumming me out.

[grndmstr_c]

That article alby posted looks to me like nothing more than the idle speculation of a Wizards fan, so I'm not going to read anything at all into the mention of Hill, or the James/Thomas for JET/expirer suggestion. He's just parroting other sources. Still, having a sense for what fans of the other team think about these sorts of rumors isn't a terrible way of getting some perspective on one's own idle speculations.

[dirno2000]

I didn't watch Arizona State play a full game this year but it worries me (or would if we hat the 5th pick) that Harden is both a little undersized and marginally athletic. You can get by without one or the other but I can't think of a star/borderline star 2-guard that doesn't have either. Maybe Ben Gordan but his size makes him a defensive liability.

Based on the highlights I've seen Harden is crafty around the basket. I'd like my top 5 pick to be overpowering.

[BGMaverick9]

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

That article alby posted looks to me like nothing more than the idle speculation of a Wizards fan, so I'm not going to read anything at all into the mention of Hill, or the James/Thomas for JET/expirer suggestion. He's just parroting other sources. Still, having a sense for what fans of the other team think about these sorts of rumors isn't a terrible way of getting some perspective on one's own idle speculations.

The fact I really didn't see any new chatter about it on Wizards boards makes it seem to be an afterthought for an idea. Things can definitely happen a day or so leading up to the draft, so it's hard to get a read of what might actually happen.

The thing I definitely don't like hearing is pretty much on a lot of blogs or analysis of players, Hill's name falls in the "Bust" category way too many times.

[Thespiralgoeson]

I think people are reading too much into Cuban's recent comments. He hasn't said anything to make me believe he isn't willing to spend money to win. He seems to be saying that he's just not going to be throwing money around for no reason like he has in the past; that if he's going to take on big contracts, then the players we get better be worth it. I have no problem with that.

[BGMaverick9]

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

I think people are reading too much into Cuban's recent comments. He hasn't said anything to make me believe he isn't willing to spend money to win. He seems to be saying that he's just not going to be throwing money around for no reason like he has in the past; that if he's going to take on big contracts, then the players we get better be worth it. I have no problem with that.

I agree, he's just being very picky. I think though there is a strong possibility that nothing will meet his demand and we're getting ready for subtle changes for 09 to try to get ready for 2010.

Stack will obviously try to be used to land a bigger fish, even with a longer deal but if that doesn't happen Cuban has to get something out of the contract and not let it rot so he'll go with a middle tier kind of trade to make use of the contract...on top of that, like grndmstr_c mentioned a few pages back: it'll be a target who expires next season. I know that'll piss a lot of people off but I can live with it. It's great to dream big, but if Stack can bring at least 1 piece that makes an positive impact on the rotation then it's a solid move. The move I liked the most was Mike Miller/Cardinal for Stack/Carroll and a one year contract.

Unless the MLE gets you a stud, I think we'll just make a solid 1 year offer to the best guy available who would want to join up with the team.

[grndmstr_c]

Originally Posted by dirno2000

I didn't watch Arizona State play a full game this year but it worries me (or would if we hat the 5th pick) that Harden is both a little undersized and marginally athletic. You can get by without one or the other but I can't think of a star/borderline star 2-guard that doesn't have either. Maybe Ben Gordan but his size makes him a defensive liability.

Based on the highlights I've seen Harden is crafty around the basket. I'd like my top 5 pick to be overpowering.

I'm far from an expert on him, but the little I've seen of Harden he reminds me more of a smaller Pierce than anything else, which is both good and bad. That kind of game is probably more effective when you're a SF than when you're a SG.

On the other side of things, Harden's combine stats actually look better than his rep would suggest. 6'5" in shoes, long arms, 37 inch vertical...

[alby]

Comparing Harden with Pierce is pretty close IMO. He's not flashy like VC was coming out, he's not athletic like Wade was coming out, he's not big like Lebron was coming out, but he has great basketball instincts and he has good play making ability. If he can be crafty and smart with the ball, he can be a Brandon Roy type player. Roy IMO is very very underrated when it comes to explosiveness, but that doesn't take away from his great instincts in the pick and roll game. Harden has this type of potential, and he's a lefty. I don't know what that is worth, but I'm sure it helps somehow haha. Harden can develop into someone like a Ginobili, it will all depend on who coaches/teaches him and his work ethic. Drafting guys are so hit/miss, its just too damn scary sometimes for me to handle. With that being said, I would love him if we were to move up in the draft.. or someone like Terrence Williams, who has the same type of skills but is a monster defensively as well.

[TheMaverick]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...center-edition

Part 1

No one can argue that the Dallas Mavericks need to make over the center position. There is no denying Erick Dampier has been a "serviceable" center. There is no denying he has been a workhorse, and the very fact he stayed healthy all season long was an asset by itself.

But for the Mavericks to be Championship contenders, they need more from the center position.
What did we get from Dampier this past season? Keep in mind he only averaged 23 minutes a game. He did give us 80 games, which is remarkable for a 33 year-old center.
Dampier also gave us an average of 5.7 pts per game. His touches were an average of 3.5, and have been on the decline since he has been with the Mavericks. His shooting average was up a bit, which I'll credit that to Jason Kidd's passing.

Dampier gave us 7.1 rebounds per game last season; 2.7 on offense, 4.4 on defense. Those are also numbers that have been declining every season since he has been with the Mavericks.

The only numbers that have increased for Dampier are the ones on his paycheck. He boasts the third-highest salary on the Mavs' roster—$11.5 million for the past season. I don't think we got our money's worth.

To have his 2010-11 salary guaranteed, Dampier has to play 2,100 minutes this coming season. It averages out to only 25.6 minutes a game, that is assuming he plays 82 games a year. He averages 25.2 minutes per game for his career, and that number has gone down the last few years.

Dampier's postseason game really wasn't that great when you think about it. In the first round he played against Tim Duncan who had two bad knees. Dampier should have easily been able to beat Duncan, but he only barely did. Worst of all, Dampier could not keep Tony Parker out of our paint. But we survived that round.
In the second round against Denver, Dampier quickly proved to be outmatched by the much more athletic Nene. How many time did we see Nene and the other Nuggets score a back-door dunk in Dampier's face? Let's face it, Dampier was a liability against Denver's big men.

Let's take a moment to define serviceable: Good enough to get you through the regular season, but won't get you an NBA ring.

The Mavericks have never had a "dominant" center. Their current offense doesn't require much scoring from that position.

Our center's job is to anchor the defense, protect the paint, but most importantly grab rebounds. Any scoring is just added gravy.

To quote head coach Rick Carlisle: "Transition offense starts with defensive stops."

So most of our transition offense start with a defensive rebound, sometimes a block or a steal. The rebounder then flips the ball to the point guard, who passes on to the wing position.

Only in the half-court set does the center come into play in scoring.

The center will set screens for pick-n-roll plays by drawing or blocking his defender away from the ball handler. That is important to open up the scoring lanes and minimize double teaming.

A few scoring plays are mixed in for the center, too, such as rolling to the basket off a pick-n-roll, or a slam dunk off an alley-oop pass.

So we don't expect much point-wise, from our centers. What we demand is rebounding. He should marshall the paint like he owns it.

Rebounding by committee just doesn't work well for the Mavericks. Our shooters should be more focused on scoring their shots than making rebounds. The bottom line is if the center is not going to create points, he better be a double-digit rebounder.

The following commentaries are presented in round table-style between Janet Kessler and Alex McVeigh, two Dallas Mavericks Community Members, on some available centers.

Will the Mavericks find that ultimate center, for their quest to the top of the league?

Zaza Pachulia: An unrestricted free agent. His salary last season was worth $4.0 million.

Alex: Zaza Pachulia is pretty good, though he doesn't play much, so it's hard to tell if he could be a legit center. He's 25, pretty athletic, a good shooter, and good on the boards, and I think he's 7 feet. Although, when he started for Atlanta in 05-06 and 06-07, he averaged about 12 PPG, but only 7-8 rebounds.

Janet: Pachulia has been the Hawks' primary backup to starter Al Horford. He has made it known that he wants to stay with the Hawks. He's a nice young, athletic seven-footer. Just don't think he is the rebounder we are looking for.

Mikki Moore: An unrestricted free agent. His salary last season was $5.784 million.

Alex: I've always liked Mikki Moore back to his days in New Jersey. He is 33 though, so I don't know if he could play starter's minutes anymore. He certainly didn't this year.

Janet: Playing behind someone like Kevin Garnett won't get you a lot of playing time anywhere. I tried looking at games where Moore had good minutes, I just don't see an improvement over Dampier. Who's next on the list?

Brian Scalabrine: Unrestricted with one season left on his $15 million contract. Last season paid him $3.2 million.

Alex: As far as Scalabrine goes, I would stay away from him. Aside from his obvious deficiencies (he's a big, slow, red-headed whitey), he can't do much other than take up space on the floor. I don't think he rebounds or shoots very well. The Celtics used him last season as their "human victory cigar" he used to come in during the garbage
time. I know he played some meaningful minutes for the C's in the play-offs with KG out, but I don't think he's worth trading anyone away, not even Matt Carroll.

Janet: Ooo, that's really strong Alex. Apparently the Celtics are thinking the same thing too (almost). According to their team site, they're willing to put up Scalabrine, Allen, and Giddens for a good backup for Paul Pierce. He is definitely not what we are shopping for.

Nazr Mohammed: Unrestricted, and on his final year of contract that netted him $6 million last season.

Alex: I think Mohammed is a decent enough center. His numbers look pretty similar to Dampier, though I think he's pretty good on the offensive glass. He's 31, so he's slightly younger, but he didn't play much this year, I'm not sure if that's a reflection on him, or the Bobcats' big men. He's got good FT numbers for a big man though.

Janet: Mohammed has made it clear to the Charlotte front office: Play me or trade me. He'll be 32 at the start of training camp. I don't know, only slightly younger than Dampier. Looking past last seasons stats, they are no better than Dampier's. Let's keep shopping Alex.

Jerome James: An unrestricted free agent. Last season salary was worth $6.2 million.

Alex: Jerome James is one of those players that you can't believe pulls down $6.2 per year. He's 33, and 7'1", but he only played in two games this season. his best year was 2004-05 with the Sonics, when he averages 24.9 PPG and 10.2 RPG. Since then, he hasn't averaged more than 10 minutes per game, and hasn't averages more than three points and two rebs per game.
I'm not really sure why the drop-off, apparently he was in a contract year in 04-05, and once the Knicks signed him to a big deal, he showed up out of shape, and hasn't done anything since then.

Side note on James, he also played in only two games in 07-08, but made one field goal and two free throws in the game, giving him a 1.000 FG% and FT% for the season. Also, he was paid $5.8 million that year, meaning he got around $1.45 mil per point. Not a bad gig.

Janet: He's been injured the past three seasons. His last injury may be career ending; he ruptured his Achilles' tendon. Also his age is a factor, he is 32. I would stay far, far away from this guy. There is still a lot of shopping to do.

Zyndrunas Ilgauskas: Unrestricted free-agent, with a player option. His last season salary netted him $10.8 million.

Alex: Zyndrunas used to be one of my favorite players to watch. He could shoot the mid range jumper like crazy, and he was always a decent rebounder. This season, however, he has been like a corpse, plus he's pretty injury prone being so big, and I believe he exercised his player option for something around $11-12 mil.

Janet: This 34 year-old has made it known he wants to stay in Cleveland. He is fun to watch, with nice scoring numbers. His rebounding numbers aren't much better than Dampier's, though.

Oh well, I don't think we'll see "Big Z" in a Mavericks uniform anyway. Who's next?

Stay Tuned for Part II...

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...dition-part-ii


Part 2

Part II of a discussion of available centers that the Dallas Mavericks could pursue, brought to you by Janet Kessler and Alex McVeigh, two Dallas Mavericks community members.

Ben Wallace: Unrestricted free-agent, with one year of contract left. Last season salary netted him $14.5 million.

Alex: Ben Wallace is another guy who is washed up, but the 2003-2005 Wallace could have been great for the Mavs. He doesn't need to score, he just locks down the interior. I know he's got a monster contract, and he isn't worth much of it, cause he's always hurt, and doesn't log big minutes anymore. He averages 4.2 points and seven rebounds in 26.3 minutes this year.

Janet: According to the Cavaliers team site, the team can't afford for Wallace to retire. They would have to carry his final salary under cap for the season, or work out a buy out. More than likely he will be trade bait. I don't think the Mavs will be biting.

Anderson Varejao: Unrestricted free-agent. Last season salary was worth $5.8 million.

Alex: Besides Ben Gordon, I don't think there's a player in the league that I like less than Anderson Varejao. He provides a decent presenceinside, and he's good on the boards, but he flops like a fish, and he thinks that he is way more valuable than he is.

He held out most of the season after the Cavs went to the Finals, because he wanted a bigger deal, which he didn't get until Charlotte made an offer and the Cavs matched it.

He shoots at a decent percentage, but he's never scored more than nine points per game, or rebound more than eight per game, and I don't think he's a starter on a good team. He'll probably get overpaid by a bad team.

Janet: Varejao's scoring averages have been on the rise every season. This flop-artist is no shot-blocker. He would be a better fit in Hollywood than the Mavericks.

Chris Andersen: An unrestricted free-agent. Last season salary was worth $1.939 million.

Alex: I think Andersen is one of those guys who gives you more than stats, plus he can hit a midrange jumper, and shoot free throws. I think he could be a great energy guy off the bench.

Janet: According to the team site, Andersen is hoping to re-sign with Denver. He is loyal to them for helping with his drug re-hab. His value could demand the mid-cap exception, around $5.6 million.

Besides the crazy hair and tattoo sleeves, he is amazing to watch. Andersen was the league’s No. 2 shot blocker. I think Denver will do all they can to keep him. But we can dream.

Kwame Brown: An unrestricted free-agent. Last season salary was worth $4.0 Million.

Alex: Kwame Brown does not bring good memories around the D.C. area. He was the Wizards first overall pick in 2001, made by Michael Jordan. They passed on Pau Gasol, Jason Richardson, Joe Johnson and Tony Parker. He has the skill set, he's only 27, but he has absolutely no motivation. When he was traded to the Lakers, the fans used to boo him, he did nothing when he was on the Pistons for last year, and I doubt he'll be making any sort of contributions. He's a poor man's Dampier; no hands, no leap and not much defense.

Janet: Brown has to decide whether or not to exercise his $4.1 million players option. Although he is cheaper than Dampier, his points and rebounding are no better. He is not what we are looking for.

Antonio McDyess: An unrestricted free-agent. Last season salary was worth $6.8 million.

Alex: McDyess is pretty good, but he's 34. I know the Pistons wanted him back in the Nuggets trade, but once they got him off waivers, he wasn't super effective off the bench. He averaged about 10 points and 10 rebounds, but played almost 30 minutes per game. He's a pretty good defender though.

Janet: McDyess' shooting and rebounding numbers are slightly better than Dampier's. His salary fits better under the cap too. I'll put him as a possible, we might have to come back for a second look.

Rasheed Wallace: An unrestricted free-agent. His last season salary was worth $13.68 million.

Alex: Rasheed Wallace is also 34, and has the questionable emotional baggage. I like his skill set, but he seems to be having trouble motivated, and he pretty much quit on the Pistons this year, and he tends to spread that discontent around a locker room.

He's got a good shooting stroke. His numbers have fallen off ever since that championship season though, he only averaged 12 points and seven rebounds as a starter last season. He and Josh might get along though, I think they've both had their run-ins with doing certain off-court activities.

Janet: The Pistons' team site states Wallace wants $8 million, for next season. It also said if he doesn't get it, he might retire. He can still shoot his way to double figures, on average. His rebounding is no better than Dampier. He could be an if all else fails choice.

Marcus Camby: Unrestricted with one season lest on his contract. Last season salary was worth $10.00 million.

Alex: Besides the transition thing mentioned in part one, Camby could be a good answer for the Mavs. He's great at locking down the paint, but I don't think he runs very well. I think he can shoot a jumper though, which could spread out the floor for others.
I think he's an expiring contract, so he could prove to be a decent rental for part of the season, the Mavs could always dump him at the deadline. He is a rebounding machine too, as he pulled down 27 last December. Of the ones in this group, I like him the best.

Janet: The Clippers own the No. 1 pick of the draft, and are expected to take Blake Griffin. The Clippers can't afford Griffin and stay under Cap. I wouldn't mind if Dallas helped them with their salary problem, for Camby.
Even with declining numbers, Camby looks like the rebounding machine were looking for. Mark Cuban are you reading this?

Lamar Odom: An unrestricted free-agent. His salary last season was worth $14.148 million.

Alex: One of the most versatile, if not inconsistent players in the game. He can play all five positions, he's got size and speed, and can do things like bring the ball across half-court, to post someone up in a matter of seconds, which not many players can do.

He's not very consistent though, and he makes a lot of money ($14 million), though I think he said he expects to take a pay cut. When he's playing well, his teams are hard to stop.

Janet: According to the Lakers team site, Odom want to re-sign with the Lakers. He is even willing to take a pay-cut to stay. Unless some team makes him a lucrative offer he can't refuse, he's not leaving LA. In this financial climate that is unlikely to happen.

Shelden Williams: An unrestricted free-agent. His last season salary was worth $13.8 million.

Alex: He was pretty good in college, and he's young (25). He's also undersized though, and I think he's more famous for being married to Candace Parker. He doesn't play much, and only made 15 appearances last season.

Janet: We might have something here. Williams scored a double-double against Denver's and the Lakers' big men. He is a little pricey though. He could be an impact player, being so young.

Tyson Chandler: An unrestricted free-agent with one season left on his contract. His last season salary was worth $11.4 million.

Alex: He's only 26, and can finish the alley-oop with the best of them, but his health is a major concern. He's had a series of foot problems, one of which caused that trade to OKC to get nixed.
He's a good defender though, and he's pretty athletic. If there was a good backup behind him (Ryan Hollins perhaps?), he could be a solid contributor.

Janet: Rumors through the NBA grapevine, says the Hornets organization is hurting for cash. The Hornets might be willing to move Chandler. Chandler will be iffy for the start of training camp. He is recovering from surgery to his left ankle and big toe.

David Lee: A restricted free-agent. His last season salary was worth $1.78 million.

Alex: Another undersized center/forward. Lee is very athletic, he can shoot and dunk, and he's a monster around the boards.
He's capable of putting up a double-double every night, but it could be tough to put him against seven-footers.

Janet: Lee is a double-double machine, leading the league with 65 of them. The Knicks want to do a sign and trade for him. The Knicks are looking to clear cap-space for 2010.

Marcin Gortat: A restricted free-agent. His last season salary was worth $711,000.

Alex: His performance backing up Dwight Howard has earned him the shot at a big payday, and he looks to be worth it. He's pretty athletic, and managed good production out of limited time playing behind the best center in the NBA.
But, there is a reason he bounced around a few times, and he could be a classic contract year phenomenon. He'll probably get overpaid by somebody, and I don't think he'll do well as a starting center.

Janet: He was great to watch in the finals. The Magic are more determined to re-sign Hedo Turkoglu. Even if it breaks the teams salary cap to do it.
Gortat could be a casualty of the Luxury tax. Mavericks better keep an eye on him.

Shaquille O'Neal: An unrestricted free-agent with one season of contract left. Last season salary was worth $20.0 million.

Alex: Quite a price tag, and at the tail end of his usefulness, but he sells tickets, gets headlines, and seems to be a good locker room guy, although recent reports have indicated the opposite.
Before his stint in Phoenix, he also seemed to bring winning wherever he goes, but he may still have another season left in the tank, the problem is is it worth gambling another year (possibly the last) of Dirk's prime to find out? I don’t think so.

Janet: The rumors have been flying about O'Neal coming to Dallas since the All-Star break. Partly due to all the Twittering between Mark Cuban and him. I really don't want him here. He is too expensive, but if there is no one else, than maybe.

LaMarcus Aldridge: A restricted free-agent with one season of contract left. His last season salary was worth $4.6 million.

Alex: Better suited as a power forward, he is a good, small ball center as well. Good on the boards, can shoot from about 15 feet, but he's far from dominant on the glass. If he was a starting center, I don't think he would do well against any seven-footer though, but he might be athletic enough to make up for it.

Janet: Aldridge is listed as 6'11", so he is big enough. His rebounding is in the neighborhood of Dampier's. This guy would be a good scoring option. We can go that route.

Joel Przybilla: An unrestricted free-agent with one season of contract left. His last season salary was worth $6.3 million.

Alex: The Vanilla Gorilla? He's a pretty good center, and a tough guy to boot. If he can be platooned with an athletic guy, even if he's smaller, Przybilla could make half of a good center duo.

Janet: Przybilla is better rebounder than a scorer. The Mavericks could live with that, as long as he puts up big numbers on rebounds.

Drew Gooden: An unrestricted free-agent. His last season salary was worth $7.1 million.

Alex: A monster physically, he's got an intriguing skill-set, but I don't think he's consistent enough. He's a good counter to big centers defensively, and he can even hit the occasional jumper, but he shouldn't be counted on as the main provider for either of those.

Janet: Gooden is more consistent as a scorer, than Dampier. I don't know if he would give the Mavericks anymore rebounding than Dampier.

Fabrico Oberto: An unrestricted free-agent with one season of contract left. His last season of salary was worth $3.6 million.

Alex: He might be available soon, but I think he's had some heart problems as of late. If the price is right, he could be worth it for just the boost on the offensive glass, he is great at tipping out rebounds and giving his team a shot at second half points. With a good enough offense, an extra four or five possessions could be huge for a team.

Janet: On June 8, Oberto underwent a procedure to correct an atrial fibrillation. He will soon began a conservative cardiovascular exercise program. He has all summer to get back to full speed. A nice backup or tandem center. Don't think he could do starter minutes.

Mehmet Okur: An unrestricted free-agent. His last season salary was worth $9.0 million.

Alex: I've always been a big fan of his. He's the player Andrea Bargnani has the best hope of playing like. Great shooting stroke, pretty good on the boards, though he's not a defensive world-beater. He has struggled with injury, and might be setter served
playing as a power forward, but he's solid.

Janet: Okur matches Dampier's rebounding numbers well. Most impressive is his scoring, that would complement the Mavericks core, very well.

Brendan Haywood: An unrestricted free-agent with one season of contract left. Last season salary was worth $5.5 million.

Alex: Brendan Haywood is one of the most underrated centers in the league, and the secret reason the Wizard were so bad last year was the fact that he was gone. Great defender, monster on the boards, and he shoots a very high percentage.
He's smart about his shots, but he's got a few low-post moves to get him his points. He turns 30 in November, and has proven he can be a good starting center. Don't know his contract situation, but he would be a great find.

Janet: Haywood's rebounding numbers are close to Dampier's numbers. Looks like if Haywood had decent floor minutes, scoring numbers would be impressive as well.

Let the makeover begin:
As you can see from the list big men are a plenty this summer, but a good big man is so hard to find. It would have easier for me, and less writing, to just list all the hot prospects.
I wanted you the reader, see what a difficult task it is to find the just the right one.
The Mavericks brain-trust have a lot of work to do. It will be extremely hard to makeover the Mavericks center position. For the Mavericks to reach the ultimate prize, they have no choice but to do so.

[TheMaverick]

The article was poorly written, I merely posted it to give people a clue about the big men out there that may (or may not) be available.

[SMC0007]

They never mentioned Kaman.

Kaman
Camby
Shaq
Andersen
Chandler

Interest me... and probably in that order.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by SMC0007

They never mentioned Kaman.

Kaman
Camby
Shaq
Andersen
Chandler

Interest me... and probably in that order.

The two Clippers' bigmen are the only ones that I'm even remotely interested in. Andersen is not only a lateral move, he's also not an option anyway. Shaq... high risk, low reward. Chandler, lateral move and injury prone.

[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

The two Clippers' bigmen are the only ones that I'm even remotely interested in. Andersen is not only a lateral move, he's also not an option anyway. Shaq... high risk, low reward. Chandler, lateral move and injury prone.

Obviously agree on the Clipps big men but
I believe everyone on my list above> Damp. Anderson would be a nice upgrade imo as well as chandler. Injuries could pose a problem with a few of them but we are going to have to take some of those chances to get an upgrade.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by SMC0007

Obviously agree on the Clipps big men but
I believe everyone on my list above> Damp. Anderson would be a nice upgrade imo as well as chandler. Injuries could pose a problem with a few of them but we are going to have to take some of those chances to get an upgrade.

They run the floor better, that's about it. Offensively, you're not getting anymore out of either of them than Dampier. Defensively, in both cases your helpside gets better, and your man-to-man gets a bit worse. In Chandler's case, rebounding is about the same, maybe slightly better (or worse.) Andersen OTOH is definitely a poorer rebounder than Damp. Neither of them give you much more than Dampier does. Chandler is a lateral move, and I might honestly go as far as to call Andersen a slight DOWNGRADE.

[eyedentifyme]

Hawks Looking To Trade Josh Smith

Jun 15, 2009 4:05 PM EST



The Hawks have reportedly been working hard to find a taker for forward Josh Smith in recent weeks.

Atlanta is in a tough situation financially, as both Mike Bibby and Marvin Williams are free agents.

Smith has a history of disagreements with coach Mike Woodson, and would likely be coveted on the trade market.

However, there is a $6 million trade kicker attached to his contract, which could scare some teams off.

"You are going to see very few owners willing to do things like that anymore," one GM said. "I'm not saying he's impossible to trade. There are a few owners like Paul Allen, James Dolan, Mark Cuban and maybe Daniel Gilbert who would pay the money. But there aren't many."



How about Stack/Bass(S&T)/Cash to Atlanta Hawks for Josh Smith? Trade Josh Howard and Cash to Philadelphia for Andre Iguodala? How about trade Damp/Wright/Carroll/Cash to Phoenix Suns for Shaq? Re-sign Kidd? Use full MLE on Shawn Marion? It's time to right this ship Donnie and Cubes.

Roster:

Kidd?/(Andre Iguodala? or keep Josh Howard)/Josh Smith?/Dirk/Shaq?
Barea/Jet/Singleton/Shawn Marion?/Hollins
Shan Foster/(Ty Lawson?/Johnny Flynn?/Eric Maynor?/Patrick Mills?/Rodrigue Beaubois?)

SWilliams/

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by eyedentifyme

Hawks Looking To Trade Josh Smith

Jun 15, 2009 4:05 PM EST



The Hawks have reportedly been working hard to find a taker for forward Josh Smith in recent weeks.

Atlanta is in a tough situation financially, as both Mike Bibby and Marvin Williams are free agents.

Smith has a history of disagreements with coach Mike Woodson, and would likely be coveted on the trade market.

However, there is a $6 million trade kicker attached to his contract, which could scare some teams off.

"You are going to see very few owners willing to do things like that anymore," one GM said. "I'm not saying he's impossible to trade. There are a few owners like Paul Allen, James Dolan, Mark Cuban and maybe Daniel Gilbert who would pay the money. But there aren't many."



How about Stack/Bass(S&T)/Cash to Atlanta Hawks for Josh Smith? Trade Josh Howard and Cash to Philadelphia for Andre Iguodala? How about trade Damp/Wright/Carroll/Cash to Phoenix Suns for Shaq? Re-sign Kidd? Use full MLE on Shawn Marion? It's time to right this ship Donnie and Cubes.

Roster:

Kidd?/Andre Iguodala?/Josh Smith?/Dirk/Shaq?
Barea/Jet/Singleton/Shawn Marion?/Hollins
Shan Foster/(Ty Lawson?/Johnny Flynn?/Eric Maynor?/Patrick Mills?/Rodrigue Beaubois?)

SWilliams/

Or not.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Only if Smith can still play SF. Otherwise, no.

[TheMaverick]

^ Um, a Stack/Bass for Smith move would be a clear upgrade. You wouldn't want that?

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by TheMaverick

^ Um, a Stack/Bass for Smith move would be a clear upgrade. You wouldn't want that?

I would love that. I just don't think Atlanta would.

[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

They run the floor better, that's about it. Offensively, you're not getting anymore out of either of them than Dampier. Defensively, in both cases your helpside gets better, and your man-to-man gets a bit worse. In Chandler's case, rebounding is about the same, maybe slightly better (or worse.) Andersen OTOH is definitely a poorer rebounder than Damp. Neither of them give you much more than Dampier does. Chandler is a lateral move, and I might honestly go as far as to call Andersen a slight DOWNGRADE.

Yeah, they offer more offensively the both of them. Andersen has a much better shot than Damp who is considered fortunate to draw iron on any form of shots outside of a layup. He can actually knock down the short-mid J. Damp has zero chance of doing that. Chandler is much more potent on the pick and roll than Damp, and while the lob play is his thing I would prefer either of those two creating offense with the dribble over Damp. Both of them have MUCH better hands too.

Defensively the difference in man to man between them is so small it's not even worth a debate. Rebounding too. The things that make them an upgrade is mobility and offense which definitely includes being able to handle passes much better too. Offensively Damp brings one thing: Setting nice picks.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by SMC0007

Yeah, they offer more offensively the both of them. Andersen has a much better shot than Damp who is considered fortunate to draw iron on any form of shots outside of a layup. He can actually knock down the short-mid J. Damp has zero chance of doing that. Chandler is much more potent on the pick and roll than Damp, and while the lob play is his thing I would prefer either of those two creating offense with the dribble over Damp. Both of them have MUCH better hands too.

Actually I'd say Chandler's hands are a bit worse. And since Kidd can't get into the paint for squat, I'd say Chandler's effectiveness off the pick and roll is negligible if he comes to Dallas. I'll give you that Andersen's shot isn't terrible, but I'd hardly call him an offensive threat.

Defensively the difference in man to man between them is so small it's not even worth a debate. Rebounding too. The things that make them an upgrade is mobility and offense which definitely includes being able to handle passes much better too. Offensively Damp brings one thing: Setting nice picks.

I couldn't disagree more. Man-to-man Damp is A LOT better than Andersen. Chandler is a bit more debatable but not much. Same deal with rebounding.

We could argue all day over this crap all day. The fact that there even is an argument proves my point. They're just not significant improvements over Damp. They're just not. I'll give you that they both run the floor better, but that's it. Lateral moves, or very marginal upgrades. Not difference makers.

And I can't see us getting Birdman anyway, so it's pretty much moot.

[quietsavant]

I take this with a grain of salt of course

Nelson: Expect Plenty Of Trades

The Dallas Mavericks currently own the 22nd pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, but don't be surprised if they wind up making a move. Mavs GM Donnie Nelson told us today that he is actively seeking a way to move up.

"We think we're going to get something good at 22. It's a good area. That being said, we're real active (in trade talks), as we are every draft. We're looking to trade up, trade down, trade all around, as far as the pick goes. But it's a decent area and we feel like we can get something good down there."

Wherever the Mavs end up making their first round pick, they feel they can address a need. For one thing, they are in need of depth at every position, though point guard might be a stretch.

"I don't know that you can address a certain position when it gets down to 22," says Nelson. "We're hoping for another Josh Howard moment, but we feel like we're going to get something down there that we like. We need back-up everything - 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Obviously free agency could impact that, so that means we'd like to get all of our guys back, and it means that at 22 we'll probably grab just the best player."

The one constant among league executives this summer has been the belief that there is a certain plateau in the talent level of the 2009 draft class. Many have told us that between the third pick and the 23rd pick there won't be a huge gap in talent. Nelson defined it a little differently, and then went on to say he believes there will be a lot of trade activity going on during the draft.

"I'd say if you're talking to the average GM out there, there's probably a line after #1, a second line after 5 or so, and then a third line between 10 and 12, and then after that you can get the same guy at 22 as you do at 15. Our strategy is being knowledgeable about everything at all times and being ready. I think there's going to be a lot of activity in this draft; not just trading up and down, but also there will be some attached player transactions, as well. We want to make sure that when and if we pull the trigger on a trade that it will be for the right reasons."

In a time when many teams are looking to cut costs, the Mavericks are much more concerned about getting Dirk Nowitzki back into the NBA Finals. Don't be surprised if they make a major move toward that end on draft day next week.

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12989

[Underdog]

"We think we're going to get something good at 22. It's a good area. That being said, we're real active (in trade talks), as we are every draft. We're looking to trade up, trade down, trade all around, as far as the pick goes. But it's a decent area and we feel like we can get something good down there."

Donnie might as well have said "no comment"...

[BGMaverick9]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Donnie might as well have said "no comment"...

Donnie was on GAC today and he might've slipped up in the fact that #22 could very well end up in Frisco with the D-League team for a better part of this coming season. That could be bad or good, depending on how you want to look at it.

He also said that it's very deep with PGs but they'll draft the best available player, even if it's a backup to Dirk.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Donnie might as well have said "no comment"...

Hmm...I don't know UD. Last draft it seemed that Donnie was just looking to trade up and down.

This all around talk is something new...

[dalger]

Originally Posted by SMC0007

They never mentioned Kaman.

Kaman
Camby
Shaq
Andersen
Chandler

Interest me... and probably in that order.

Agreed. Unfortunately, it seems that the Clippers are not looking to give Kaman or Camby away just to save money, so Stack plus a little something to make the salaries work might not be enough to get it done. Instead, Josh could be the player they target in exchange for Kaman/Camby.

If so, that would be a tough decision to make. I think it depends on the options we would have with Damp and Stack's contract as well as the MLE. Would it be more likely to get a 5 and a 2 or a 3 and a 2 with those pieces? Thankfully, I'm no GM.

[241mavsrule]

Currently we have to holes the 2 and the 5. We can't make a hole at the three to adress these problems unless it is a clear upgrade i.e. Butler/VC

[TheMaverick]

Donnie just said "we liked our team" the long way

[Thomas86]

Did anybody hear this RUMOR about Devin Harris being trade to the Grizzlies for the #2 pick?...if Devin get's traded again then I guess people would have to stop bashing the Mavs for trading him since the Nets MIGHT trade him next.

[TheMaverick]

Interesting.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by Thomas86

Did anybody hear this RUMOR about Devin Harris being trade to the Grizzlies for the #2 pick?...if Devin get's traded again then I guess people would have to stop bashing the Mavs for trading him since the Nets MIGHT trade him next.

Link?