So, who do you want to go forward with?

[LonghornDub]

Are those some La Bouche lyrics in the tags? Quality 90s nonsense.

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by Kidd Karma

Wasn't Marion's 5th year unguaranteed?

Pretty sure it is guaranteed. Dirk, Trix, Cunningham, Crowder are our only guaranteed contracts. Mayo has a player option he will most likely decline.

[pepe]

Originally Posted by Budapest Maverick

No, what i meant is that if Cuban puts together a competitive rental team around Dirk once again next year (like this year, theoretically) fans will show up. Obviously, if we are awful, they, you guys won't show up. About the other thing, i don' think Dirk only needs a "little more talent" at this point, but a legit star player next to him, who should probably be closer to a hall of famer, than a perennial all-star. I think that is the reality, especially if you take a look at the NBA landscape at the moment.

So imo, giving long contracts to those guys (Collison, Mayo, Kaman) without that legit second star, is essentially closing the window fully. It basically means you gave up, and you are allright with a good, above average but nowhere near great team, with no chance to win the whole thing.

Now, you could, and you probably would argue that people said the same thing in 2010, but i would argue the NBA's landscape, and the west especially has changed dramatically since. Imo there is absolutely no chance we can do that run again, not without a legit second star, and maybe even that wouldn't be enough. Remember, Dirk had a Jordanesque run, in terms of scoring, and clutchness. I would never write off the guy, he's a legend, but obviously, we can't be sure he has another run like that in him, especially givin his recent problems.

Also, one other thing. I don't think that Dirk's last 2 years has to be a "hail mary" thing if nothing else, and if no star comes along, you gotta find a bunch of good players, and build a deep team for him, until he retires. I mean, we already won the darn thing. Dirk's career is complete. He won everything he could have won, team-wise, and individually. He's a top 15 player of all-time, at worst top 20.

In my opinion it's all right if Cuban puts the future of the franchise first, and if that means you don't give away 5 years contracts to mediocre players, then i think it's not necessarily a bad thing. Dirk is great, i love the guy to bits, but he's no bigger than the Mavs.

Agree and since we are speculating, I only see one of DC, Mayo or Kaman on this team next year, unless they are willing to come back for peanuts

[mavs777]

Plan A should be to go after CP3/Dwight/Bynum regardless of how Mayo/Collison play this year.

[ChileanMavsFan]

Originally Posted by mavs777

Plan A should be to go after CP3/Dwight/Bynum regardless of how Mayo/Collison play this year.

I agree for the most part, except about going for Bynum. He is only 25 and a great player when healthy but he has been injured a lot. Still have to wait and see how he recovers from that knee treatments until he can be included in the same group with Dwight and CP3.

[asiasportwriter]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Let's get Dirk and Marion back and see where we are.

I do agree with this, the two are great players!

[DevinHarriswillstart]

At this point the only two players I care about having on the team outside of Dirk are Mayo and Kaman. Maybe Marion once he gets fully healthy. Seriously though, Mayo and Kaman are just superior talents to anyone else on the team not named Uber.

[Underdog]

Boy, how different everything looked back in November... It appears that some of my biggest concerns came true:

Originally Posted by Underdog

It definitely makes for nice conversation in a vacuum, but we don't really know the long-term value of any of these guys until they play with our franchise player... What if Mayo opts for hero ball instead of passing to Dirk in the clutch? What if Collison doesn't hit Dirk in his sweet spots with any consistency? What if a Dirk/Kaman duo ends up being a slow, plodding disaster on defense? These are the types of of issues that sent quality players like Devin Harris and Josh Howard packing.

Mayo didn't kill us in the clutch with hero ball, but he did kill us in the clutch by doing even worse - he shrank... Collison still hasn't figured out when/where to hit Dirk in his sweet spots, which is the primary reason why Carlisle has opted to roll with Mike James as our starter... And, yes, the Dirk/Kaman duo has definitely proved to be a slow, plodding disaster on defense.

So, which players are worthy of bringing back next season? Who do you guys want to go forward with?

[Dirk's Knee]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Boy, how different everything looked back in November... It appears that some of my biggest concerns came true:



Mayo didn't kill us in the clutch with hero ball, but he did kill us in the clutch by doing even worse - he shrank... Collison still hasn't figured out when/where to hit Dirk in his sweet spots, which is the primary reason why Carlisle has opted to roll with Mike James as our starter... And, yes, the Dirk/Kaman duo has definitely proved to be a slow, plodding disaster on defense.

So, which players are worthy of bringing back next season? Who do you guys want to go forward with?

Well, you have Dirk, Carter, Marion, Cunningham, Crowder, Bernard James on contract. I think we re-sign Wright for sure. Honestly, I don't think you bring back anyone else at this point. Maybe Collison on the cheap with the understanding he'll be coming off the bench. Haven't seen enough of Morrow or Akognon to know if their worth bringing back. I just don't see Kaman, Mayo, Brand, Mike James being worth re-signing do to overall team needs and hopefully doing well in the draft.

[sefant77]

Mayo shrank and showed some terrible ballhandling, so many times he lost the ball during a simple dribbling etc.

[LonghornDub]

I'm on board with keeping Collison as a backup PG, if he's okay with that role. Yeah, he's not great, but that's why he'd be a backup.

I'm not sure I want Mayo back at all, even at his relatively low player-option price. It sucks, cause he's got a lot of talent, but he just can't seem to get it together.

[oilfieldtrash]

Bring back Wright, dump Collison at any amount above vet minimum, Mayo probably gone after last night and probably deservedly so. Kaman, MJ, Roddy.. Good luck with a new team.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by oilfieldtrash

dump Collison at any amount above vet minimum

Absurdly shortsighted. But that's nothing new.

[Dirk's Knee]

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

I'm on board with keeping Collison as a backup PG, if he's okay with that role. Yeah, he's not great, but that's why he'd be a backup.

I'm not sure I want Mayo back at all, even at his relatively low player-option price. It sucks, cause he's got a lot of talent, but he just can't seem to get it together.

I think Collison would be better than OK at that role. Honestly, he's been good in that capacity for us this season. Barring his slump the last 5 games, he's pretty consistently put up double digit scoring and 5+ assists coming off the bench. He's a defensively liability against the stars in the league but is OK against many 2nd stringers. However, I could see him happier starting on a run and gun team in which his style of play would be a better fit. As such, I think a bid will be made for him beyond what his value is to this team.

I've been a Mayo apologist for the 2nd half the season but just can't do it anymore. Time to cut him free. If he opts in, then hopefully we can trade him.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by Dirk's Knee

I think Collison would be better than OK at that role. Honestly, he's been good in that capacity for us this season. Barring his slump the last 5 games, he's pretty consistently put up double digit scoring and 5+ assists coming off the bench. He's a defensively liability against the stars in the league but is OK against many 2nd stringers. However, I could see him happier starting on a run and gun team in which his style of play would be a better fit. As such, I think a bid will be made for him beyond what his value is to this team.

I've been a Mayo apologist for the 2nd half the season but just can't do it anymore. Time to cut him free. If he opts in, then hopefully we can trade him.

This post is the exact opposite of the one I just criticized from the other guy. Rep to you.

For the record, I also agree with you that DC will probably get a better offer than what the Mavs can (and should) pay for a backup point.

[oilfieldtrash]

Collison will not be offered a starting job by any team in the NBA next year. Mark my words.
I'm thinking he will have to take a make good type one year deal like Kaman did to bring his value up otherwise take a close to vet min long term deal. He really isn't even a qualified back up IMO. I'd give him vet min at most and even then I'd shop around first before signing him to that.

[Melonhead]

I thought mayo was a lock to be back in Dallas...until last night. Now i dont think so.

Sign Wright and Brand. Like Morrow but havent seen anything from him.
If DC likes backup, Im all for it.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by oilfieldtrash

He really isn't even a qualified back up IMO. I'd give him vet min at most and even then I'd shop around first before signing him to that.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

I guess I wouldn't mind Collison as a back-up, but I think the team can do better. His inability to read screens on defense is maddening, and it affects the rest of the team on that end of the ball.

[markus1234]

Collison is turrible. I'd rather roll with Roddy for 10-15min.

A PG needs to play at least some defense and he has to have some kind of personality.

Look at DC reaction after Dirk scored 25k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYf9UFraVXo

"I just work here"...no passion, no personality, no emotions, nothing. Ship him to Charlotte, Toronto, Washington. He is a perfect fit.

[Melonhead]

Originally Posted by markus1234

Collison is turrible. I'd rather roll with Roddy for 10-15min.

A PG needs to play at least some defense and he has to have some kind of personality.

Look at DC reaction after Dirk scored 25k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYf9UFraVXo

"I just work here"...no passion, no personality, no emotions, nothing. Ship him to Charlotte, Toronto, Washington. He is a perfect fit.

Cant totally blame him for that comment. Thats the kind of mentality a ship load of 1 year contracts get you. You dont feel like a part of the team. Feel like you are being rented.

[markus1234]

hm, Maybe. But look how passionate Morrow is on the bench. Or how Chandler, Butler, Peja, Stevenson, Carter and co. played for us. Imo they are just a different kind of breed.

[LonghornDub]

I'd love to put some of our best and brightest into a structured debate with oft or markus.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by Dirk's Knee

Well, you have Dirk, Carter, Marion, Cunningham, Crowder, Bernard James on contract. I think we re-sign Wright for sure. Honestly, I don't think you bring back anyone else at this point. Maybe Collison on the cheap with the understanding he'll be coming off the bench. Haven't seen enough of Morrow or Akognon to know if their worth bringing back. I just don't see Kaman, Mayo, Brand, Mike James being worth re-signing do to overall team needs and hopefully doing well in the draft.

We're thinking along the same lines here...

Not much to talk about with Dirk/Marion/Carter - not only are they our best players, but they're also the veteran identity of this team and should help to lure free agents... On the flipside, Marion & Carter are our biggest trade assets. Matrix is still EARNING his old-CBA contract and Carter has the best cost-to-talent ratio in the league (both contracts expire next year), but I'd love to have them back if they don't get shipped out for something better.

I'd probably bring back Jae Crowder and Bernard James even if they weren't under contract, seeing as how they both became rotational players (with a few starts) in their rookie season... Who says Rick doesn't like rooks? He gave both of these guys a chance to earn minutes and they rose to the occasion. Of course that also makes them potential trade sweetener, but hopefully they'll be back... I look forward to watching them blossom further under Carlisle's tutelage.

Cunningham was raw coming into the league and might need a couple years to develop, so it's good to have him under contract to see what he can do... Especially if Roddy moves out of his way in the pecking order (which I pretty much expect, seeing as how the kid has more injuries than back-to-back consistent games over the last 4 years).

I don't see any reason why we'd bring back Mike James unless we miraculously land CP3 and just want a cheap, hard-working backup who knows Rick's system to pick up the scraps while Cunningham continues to develop.

Locking up Brandan Wright should be a priority this summer, but has he priced himself out of a backup role on this team? I can't help but think of Brandon Bass - a PF/C who isn't quite big enough to play the 5, but won't get enough minutes at the 4 to justify their cost... Wright may be a luxury that we can't afford to keep unless he bulks up and improves his rebounding/footwork enough to play center in more matchups.

While we're at it, throw Elton Brand in the "PF/C who isn't quite big enough to play the 5, but won't get enough minutes at the 4 to justify their cost" category... We're either keeping Brand or Wright (or neither), but not both.

I'd definitely bring back Collison as a backup for the right price, especially if we use him in a Barea-type role. It seems to be what he's best suited for in Rick Carlisle's system... With that said, I doubt his ego matches the price/role the Mavs have in store for him, so I fully expect him to find a better deal (than what he's worth to us) elsewhere.

I have a feeling that the Mavs grabbed Morrow more for next season, but he might also be here for leverage in Dwight Howard negotiations (they're buddies). We didn't see much of him this season, but his career kinda speaks for itself - he's a 42.4% shooter from beyond the arc (and you can never have enough shooters!)

I don't really know what to think about OJ Mayo at this point. I was all for keeping him, even with his struggles, but Rick Carlisle just made it sound like he won't be back next season... If he does choose to exercise his option and stick around, I do think he could get better with an entire offseason/training camp to work with Dirk - you're not going to find better talent out there for $4.2mil... But if he opts out, I wouldn't pay a helluva lot more than that.

Goodbye Chris Kaman... Centers who can't anchor a defense are about as useless as point guards who can't orchestrate an offense.

Josh Akognon? More like Akogone.

Did I miss anybody?

[LonghornDub]

UD, I missed you.

[Melonhead]

Originally Posted by markus1234

hm, Maybe. But look how passionate Morrow is on the bench. Or how Chandler, Butler, Peja, Stevenson, Carter and co. played for us. Imo they are just a different kind of breed.

Good point. I loved those dudes.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Mayo- Let go.
Collison- Maybe...but let go.
Brand- For cheap, sure....probably let go.
Dirk- Gosh, we owe it to him to trade him. Teehee, couldn't resist. Keep of course
Marion- Keep
Wright- Keep
Kaman- Wouldn't mind him as a back-up, but probably let go.
Mike James- Let go
Carter- Keep
Morrow- DNP enough...but I'm guessing keep.
Crowder- Keep to have a usable body on the roster for cheap.
Cunningham- Gosh, I was one of his biggest backers last summer, but he is a bust so far. I guess keep just to try and see if he has anything.
B. James- Keep
Akognon- Let go
Beaubois- Tough choice. I'm going to say keep.

[Dirk's Knee]

Originally Posted by Underdog

...I'd definitely bring back Collison as a backup for the right price, especially if we use him in a Barea-type role. It seems to be what he's best suited for in Rick Carlisle's system... With that said, I doubt his ego matches the price/role the Mavs have in store for him, so I fully expect him to find a better deal (than what he's worth to us) elsewhere...

I was talking about this very point today to a friend, while Collison's speed might be comparable to Barea, he looks more Devin Harris in execution. IIRC, when Barea drove he tended to run straight up the middle and had a Nash-esque floater he was able to get over low post defenders. Collison likes to drive to the right side of the basket and...gets blocked a lot. Despite my opinion his near the bottom of starting point guards, I think someone in the league might tack a chance on his speed in hopes he can volume shoot a team to victory.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by Dirk's Knee

I was talking about this very point today to a friend, while Collison's speed might be comparable to Barea, he looks more Devin Harris in execution. IIRC, when Barea drove he tended to run straight up the middle and had a Nash-esque floater he was able to get over low post defenders. Collison likes to drive to the right side of the basket and...gets blocked a lot. Despite my opinion his near the bottom of starting point guards, I think someone in the league might tack a chance on his speed in hopes he can volume shoot a team to victory.

I don't know if he'll "volume shoot a team to victory," but speedy chuckers like Collison can definitely be exciting to watch in the right system... Putting butts in seats occasionally draws a decent contract in this league.

[oilfieldtrash]

So you guys are happy with the job Collison has done this year? Wow.

I guess we'll have to differ on this.

[SMC0007]

Originally Posted by oilfieldtrash

So you guys are happy with the job Collison has done this year? Wow.

I guess we'll have to differ on this.

Reading comprehension fail.

[grndmstr_c]

Originally Posted by Underdog

We're thinking along the same lines here...

Not much to talk about with Dirk/Marion/Carter - not only are they our best players, but they're also the veteran identity of this team and should help to lure free agents... On the flipside, Marion & Carter are our biggest trade assets. Matrix is still EARNING his old-CBA contract and Carter has the best cost-to-talent ratio in the league (both contracts expire next year), but I'd love to have them back if they don't get shipped out for something better.

I'd probably bring back Jae Crowder and Bernard James even if they weren't under contract, seeing as how they both became rotational players (with a few starts) in their rookie season... Who says Rick doesn't like rooks? He gave both of these guys a chance to earn minutes and they rose to the occasion. Of course that also makes them potential trade sweetener, but hopefully they'll be back... I look forward to watching them blossom further under Carlisle's tutelage.

Cunningham was raw coming into the league and might need a couple years to develop, so it's good to have him under contract to see what he can do... Especially if Roddy moves out of his way in the pecking order (which I pretty much expect, seeing as how the kid has more injuries than back-to-back consistent games over the last 4 years).

I don't see any reason why we'd bring back Mike James unless we miraculously land CP3 and just want a cheap, hard-working backup who knows Rick's system to pick up the scraps while Cunningham continues to develop.

Locking up Brandan Wright should be a priority this summer, but has he priced himself out of a backup role on this team? I can't help but think of Brandon Bass - a PF/C who isn't quite big enough to play the 5, but won't get enough minutes at the 4 to justify their cost... Wright may be a luxury that we can't afford to keep unless he bulks up and improves his rebounding/footwork enough to play center in more matchups.

While we're at it, throw Elton Brand in the "PF/C who isn't quite big enough to play the 5, but won't get enough minutes at the 4 to justify their cost" category... We're either keeping Brand or Wright (or neither), but not both.

I'd definitely bring back Collison as a backup for the right price, especially if we use him in a Barea-type role. It seems to be what he's best suited for in Rick Carlisle's system... With that said, I doubt his ego matches the price/role the Mavs have in store for him, so I fully expect him to find a better deal (than what he's worth to us) elsewhere.

I have a feeling that the Mavs grabbed Morrow more for next season, but he might also be here for leverage in Dwight Howard negotiations (they're buddies). We didn't see much of him this season, but his career kinda speaks for itself - he's a 42.4% shooter from beyond the arc (and you can never have enough shooters!)

I don't really know what to think about OJ Mayo at this point. I was all for keeping him, even with his struggles, but Rick Carlisle just made it sound like he won't be back next season... If he does choose to exercise his option and stick around, I do think he could get better with an entire offseason/training camp to work with Dirk - you're not going to find better talent out there for $4.2mil... But if he opts out, I wouldn't pay a helluva lot more than that.

Goodbye Chris Kaman... Centers who can't anchor a defense are about as useless as point guards who can't orchestrate an offense.

Josh Akognon? More like Akogone.

Did I miss anybody?

Good breakdown. My thoughts:
- Trix and Carter: obviously both stick unless there's a compelling return. Marion's bigger contract means there's more cap-related incentive for Dallas to trade him, but I go back and forth a little on what the necessary return would be. Show me a night-in, night-out starting/finishing center on a reasonable contract and I start to get pretty interested, though.

- Jae and Sarge: Cheap guys who can give you minutes, and who will give you good effort. I suspect neither has enough upside that teams will be demanding them in trades, and I expect, and will be happy to see, both of them back next year.

- Cunningham: no idea

- Roddy: that ship has probably sailed. But then again, if I'm just going off Rick's positive comments about Roddy after the broken finger, I have to think it's at least not completely out of the question for him to come back next year on a vet min deal.

- MJ: to borrow Rick's word from last night, Mike's consistently been a presence for the team, so I won't mind, or be surprised, if he's back. They just need to make sure, if he does return, that they've done enough in the offseason to insure that he gets a demotion.

- Brandan: anything up to the limit of the Early Bird exception and I'd be glad to see him back/worried a mistake had been made if he's let go.

- Elton: He hasn't been, shall we say, as smooth a fit in the offense as I had hoped when Dallas claimed him, but I still like Elton and I'd have no problem seeing him retained. I do question whether he and the team will be able to come to terms financially, though, and like you have a hard time seeing both him and Brandan on the team next year.

- Morrow: I'm curious whether he's played as little as he has because he's struggled to pick the system up, because Rick was committed to seeing the OJ experiment through, or because they were kind of saving him a little bit. As long as it wasn't the first of those three, I have to think they'd be pleased to re-sign him for the right price, and suspect they'll have they opportunity to do so.

[oilfieldtrash]

Originally Posted by SMC0007

Reading comprehension fail.

Well he has played the majority of the year as a backup/spot minutes and done a piss poor job at it. But all you guys have said that you want him back as the backup.

Not sure where the fail is except for wanting to re-sign Collison

[DGM]

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

Good breakdown. My thoughts:
- Trix and Carter: obviously both stick unless there's a compelling return. Marion's bigger contract means there's more cap-related incentive for Dallas to trade him, but I go back and forth a little on what the necessary return would be. Show me a night-in, night-out starting/finishing center on a reasonable contract and I start to get pretty interested, though.

- Jae and Sarge: Cheap guys who can give you minutes, and who will give you good effort. I suspect neither has enough upside that teams will be demanding them in trades, and I expect, and will be happy to see, both of them back next year.

- Cunningham: no idea

- Roddy: that ship has probably sailed. But then again, if I'm just going off Rick's positive comments about Roddy after the broken finger, I have to think it's at least not completely out of the question for him to come back next year on a vet min deal.

- MJ: to borrow Rick's word from last night, Mike's consistently been a presence for the team, so I won't mind, or be surprised, if he's back. They just need to make sure, if he does return, that they've done enough in the offseason to insure that he gets a demotion.

- Brandan: anything up to the limit of the Early Bird exception and I'd be glad to see him back/worried a mistake had been made if he's let go.

- Elton: He hasn't been, shall we say, as smooth a fit in the offense as I had hoped when Dallas claimed him, but I still like Elton and I'd have no problem seeing him retained. I do question whether he and the team will be able to come to terms financially, though, and like you have a hard time seeing both him and Brandan on the team next year.

- Morrow: I'm curious whether he's played as little as he has because he's struggled to pick the system up, because Rick was committed to seeing the OJ experiment through, or because they were kind of saving him a little bit. As long as it wasn't the first of those three, I have to think they'd be pleased to re-sign him for the right price, and suspect they'll have they opportunity to do so.

Please no MJ under any circumstances. RC leans toward vets. His presence will stunt the growth of Cunningham like it did Roddy this year. It would have been interesting to see Roddy wih the minutes given to MJ without having to be worried about being pulled by RC for any mistake. At least we would know whether he can play pg.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by Dirk's Knee

Well, you have Dirk, Carter, Marion, Cunningham, Crowder, Bernard James on contract. I think we re-sign Wright for sure. Honestly, I don't think you bring back anyone else at this point. Maybe Collison on the cheap with the understanding he'll be coming off the bench. Haven't seen enough of Morrow or Akognon to know if their worth bringing back. I just don't see Kaman, Mayo, Brand, Mike James being worth re-signing do to overall team needs and hopefully doing well in the draft.

That's my list as well.

[Bayliss]

Collison: Sign him as a backup. And that is truly as a backup. I'd don't want to ever see him as the SG like I have for several games this year. He has the quickness to be a nice sparkplug during some stretches of games. And he is nice weapon to have when teams foul late in games. But other than that, he is pretty much irrelevant. He can't run any offense. He cannot make entry passes. And being from UCLA that is disappointing.

Wright: Try to lock him up long term. He is not perfect but a young 25 year old that has gotten better since being here needs to be rewarded. The Mavs need to look long term anyway because Dirk will not be here forever and maybe Wright can be a bridge until they find a quality star. He has the makings of a quality player. He is not selfish. He has a nice touch, can catch passes, shoots pretty well around the rim, and plays pretty hard. And signing him gives the Mavs a trade chip they may use further down the line.

Elton: See ya. You started off slow. You ended slow. And a below the rim player has to be great in certain areas. You just aren't anymore. Your shooting is erratic. You are too short to defend most 5s, and a lot of the long 4s...

Mayo: Good riddance if you bolt. You have been absolutely terrible the last 4-5 months of the year. You have a lot of talent, but geez you are scared of the moment or are just not willing to seize the moment. Either way you should be a lot better player. And you should have more court awareness.

Crowder: You need to work on your game some more. Sharpen up the 3s but don'[t fall in love with them. You have the muscle to be a bully around the rim in the mold of a Bonzi Wells. Use that girth to punish some players. You hae good passing skills you work hard on defense. Just let the shots come in the flow. With Dirk, you will get many open looks. No need to rush anything. Kidd and Deshawn can attest to the wide open looks.......

Sarge: Just keep playing hard. He is a nice emergency center. It took Joel Anthony several years to crack Miami's rotation. I see the same type of career path if you just continue to work on the finer points.

Kaman: Hit the road jack. God you have one of the highest usage rates in the league and one of the smallest assist rates in the league. You are not a black hole. You are a white hole. And to top it off Dirk plays better defense than you. You are always on the wrong side on the pick and roll. You rarely give effort on contesting shots. And excluding your own missed rebounds, you aren't as good as you should be.

Hopefully the Mavs will address PG in the draft. Sure BPA is more appropriate for any draft. But the PG is by far the weakest link on this team going forward.

[some1nw]

I definitely want Kaman, and Mayo gone. If DC accepts his role as a back up PG and not bitch about it, I'm down for it. The rest can stay because they give full effort every night.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

- Jae and Sarge: Cheap guys who can give you minutes, and who will give you good effort. I suspect neither has enough upside that teams will be demanding them in trades, and I expect, and will be happy to see, both of them back next year.

I don't know if teams would demand them, but I do know that Jae Crowder was included in the Paul Pierce proposal at the trade deadline.

- MJ: to borrow Rick's word from last night, Mike's consistently been a presence for the team, so I won't mind, or be surprised, if he's back. They just need to make sure, if he does return, that they've done enough in the offseason to insure that he gets a demotion.

If we sign a real starter at PG, then I don't mind having Mike James as our second/third option with a younger player (Collison, Cunningham, Roddy, whoever) trying to push him out of the rotation completely... But if he's our starter or primary backup next season, then it's because this summer went completely tits-up.

[markus1234]

PG: .... / M.James / Roddy
SG: .... / Morrow /....
SF: Marion / Carter / Crowder
PF: Dirk / Brand / B.James
C: .... / Wright / ....

Just like Cuban I'm tired of low IQ players.

[grndmstr_c]

Originally Posted by Underdog

I don't know if teams would demand them, but I do know that Jae Crowder was included in the Paul Pierce proposal at the trade deadline.

That may be, though it's worth noting that Dallas' pool of short-term draft- and/or youth-related assets will likely have expanded somewhat by the time free agency arrives (they couldn't have traded their first rounder at the trade deadline, for example).

If we sign a real starter at PG, then I don't mind having Mike James as our second/third option with a younger player (Collison, Cunningham, Roddy, whoever) trying to push him out of the rotation completely... But if he's our starter or primary backup next season, then it's because this summer went completely tits-up.

Would signing Chris Paul or Dwight Howard qualify as tits-up? Or would that just be the tits? And which of those should I prefer, because they both sound pretty awesome?