A Seri-esque Plan for Remaking the Mavericks

[SeriousSummer]

This my plan for remaking the team--keeping it just as high-scoring but adding some role players and defense. I assume that Nellie stays as the coach, so this is a Nellie-style team, but a better one:

1. Trade with Orlando:

Dallas trades: SG Michael Finley (18.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.9 apg in 38.6 minutes)
SF Antawn Jamison (14.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 0.9 apg in 29.0 minutes)
C Shawn Bradley (3.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.3 apg in 11.7 minutes)
SF Eduardo Najera (3.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.4 apg in 12.4 minutes)
Dallas receives: SF Grant Hill (3.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.4 apg in 12.4 minutes)
SG Tracy McGrady (28.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 5.5 apg in 39.9 minutes)
PF Juwan Howard (17.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.0 apg in 35.5 minutes)
Change in team outlook: +5.3 ppg, -3.1 rpg, and +3.0 apg.

Orlando trades: SF Grant Hill (3.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.4 apg in 12.4 minutes)
SG Tracy McGrady (28.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 5.5 apg in 39.9 minutes)
PF Juwan Howard (17.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.0 apg in 35.5 minutes)
Orlando receives: SG Michael Finley (18.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.9 apg in 72 games)
SF Antawn Jamison (14.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 0.9 apg in 82 games)
C Shawn Bradley (3.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.3 apg in 66 games)
SF Eduardo Najera (3.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.4 apg in 58 games)
Change in team outlook: -5.3 ppg, +3.1 rpg, and -3.0 apg.

TRADE ACCEPTED

Dallas gives up a ton Finley-Jamison-Bradley-Najera and takes back two bad contracts to get McGrady. He's worth it--easily. He's your small forward for at least the next five years and he and Dirk are the best pair of forwards in the league. Juwan backs up the power forward position and Hill retires or stays on the IR (unless we get a miracle).

2. The trade with Chicago I posted earlier:

Dallas trades: PF Antoine Walker (14.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 4.5 apg in 34.6 minutes)
SF Josh Howard (8.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.5 apg in 23.7 minutes)
PG Tony Delk (6.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 0.9 apg in 15.4 minutes)
Dallas receives: SG Jamal Crawford (17.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.1 apg in 35.1 minutes)
PF Tyson Chandler (6.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 0.7 apg in 22.4 minutes)
PF Antonio Davis (8.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.7 apg in 32.1 minutes)
Change in team outlook: +3.6 ppg, +4.0 rpg, and +0.6 apg.

Chicago trades: SG Jamal Crawford (17.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.1 apg in 35.1 minutes)
PF Tyson Chandler (6.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 0.7 apg in 22.4 minutes)
PF Antonio Davis (8.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.7 apg in 32.1 minutes)
Chicago receives: PF Antoine Walker (14.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 4.5 apg in 82 games)
SF Josh Howard (8.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.5 apg in 67 games)
PG Tony Delk (6.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 0.9 apg in 33 games)
Change in team outlook: -3.6 ppg, -4.0 rpg, and -0.6 apg.

TRADE ACCEPTED

Now we have a defensive pair in Chandler-Davis to play center and a nice combo guard in Crawford to back up both the one and the two.

Players released:

Best--he doesn't fit here; and
Williams--he's out of gas

Players resigned:

Nash--what else, eh?
Daniels--try to sign him for two years (second year is a player option) for the low level exception--that way he has early Bird rights at the end of next year; if you can't, then match any reasonable offer

Free agent signings:

The Mavs need three more players--another guard, a back-up small forward and a center.

The guard I would like is Bobby Sura, but we're saving the mid-level exception for a big man, so we may not be able to get him. He's the fourth guard in a three guard rotation, so it's not crucial, but the Mavs sign the best available guard for the veteran's minimum (I'll put Sura in the rotation, but I know that's way optimistic);

Back-up small forward: Bobby Simmons, if not, then Lee Nailon or someone similar

The center: I think you can get one of Blount, Okur (if Detroit keeps R. Wallace instead), Camby, Dampier, Ostertag, or Foyle--in that order. The best you can get for the mid-level exception. If they aren't available for the mid-level (or what you've got left of it after signing Daniels) then sign Rebracca from Atlanta (or some like soul) for a little depth.

The rotation after all this (Best case):

PG--Nash/Crawford
SG--Daniels/Sura
SF--McGrady/Simmons
PF--Nowitzki/Juwan Howard/Fortson
C--Blount/Chandler/Davis

IR: Stefansson, Hill, TAW

(We swap our second round draft pick to someone for a future second-- two or three years down the road, after some contracts run out.

A even better scoring team than last year, a better defensive team, and one where everyone can play their natural position.

[grndmstr_c]

I just can't see your best case playing out. I think it'll take more than the LLE to sign Daniels, and furthermore, I absolutely DO NOT want to give him an opt out prior to his third season. His stock will likely have risen high enough that we would not have any chance at resigning him. The team will need his full Bird Rights to keep him in Dallas long term. Give him three at whatever it takes and then give him an opt out after the second year. That's the best kind of deal for both parties. Once you dip into the MLE to sign Daniels which is almost a certainty IMO, everything else falls apart. Dallas does not figure to be any kind of a player in FA this year except in terms of resigning their own.

[SeriousSummer]

As understand the CBO, you can give Daniels a two-year deal at the LLE (with a player option for the second year) and still get early Bird rights. I know that might not be enough to sign him, but even if it isn't, you might still get Foyle, Ostertag or Rebracca at center with what's left over from the MLE. That only means that your center rotation is Chandler/Davis/Foyle or Ostertag or Rebracca. Everything else still stays the same.

[bcrav4]

If we could get someone to teach Tracy McGrady at least Kobe-like defense. That team would rock!

[FolterKammer84]

i dont think this would work out for us. tracy and dirk on one team are 1 star too much.
tracy wouldnt get more than 15-20 shots a game and he likes way more.

[SeriousSummer]

Kobe & Shaq seemed to have worked out (at least championship-wise). Dirk & McGrady would have to get along at least as well as they do (since it could hardly be much worse).

[aexchange]

that team you just built would be lucky to win 35 games next yr. not one single player is considered an above average defender.

sheesh.

[scorched03]

kobe and shaq are dominant players at BOTH ends.

dirk and mcgrady are dominant at ONE end. average at best at defense. although i must give props to dirk finally using his size on defense. all is needed for his defense to be pretty good is a nice athletic shotblocker behind dirk, instead of dirk as the last line of defense.

[ddh33]

To me the two biggest problems with this scenario are simple:

1. This isn't hardly realistic.
2. There isn't enough basketball for all those guys.

If you thought this team has a hard time sharing the ball, just wait until you replace high character guys who don't complain like Finley, Jamison, Najera, and Bradley with young kids trying to prove how good they are - guys playing for their next big contract.

Crawford wants to shoot every single time.
McGrady is of the mindset that he has to shoot for his team to have a chance.
Dirk would have to fight just to touch the ball.
Juwan would want his shots too.
Even the big guys like to get theirs.
Nash would have to keep even more guys happy.

No thanks. We already went down this road. It didn't end well. To me, this is just going further down a dead-end.

[LRB]

1st of all McGrady is way overrated and not near worth giving up Fin, Jamison, Bradley, and Najera for. McGrady is a volume shooter pure and simple. Although his is a tremendous athelete, he's nothing special on the defensive end. This trade would make us worse defensively and offensively and rebounding and passing.

I'm not totally sold on the Chicago trade as well, but I might do that one. I would much prefer to keep Howard though if at all possible.

[Murphy3]

I wouldn't put McGrady in the 'volume shooter' class. He's shot right around 45% from the fiels for his entire career. True volume shooters such as AI and AWalker would kill to shoot the ball that well from the floor. Plus, McGrady is a decent three point shooter as well.

[dude1394]

Looks like a go for me.

[MightyToine]

Originally posted by: ddh33
To me the two biggest problems with this scenario are simple:

1. This isn't hardly realistic.
2. There isn't enough basketball for all those guys.

If you thought this team has a hard time sharing the ball, just wait until you replace high character guys who don't complain like Finley, Jamison, Najera, and Bradley with young kids trying to prove how good they are - guys playing for their next big contract.

Crawford wants to shoot every single time.
McGrady is of the mindset that he has to shoot for his team to have a chance.
Dirk would have to fight just to touch the ball.
Juwan would want his shots too.
Even the big guys like to get theirs.
Nash would have to keep even more guys happy.

No thanks. We already went down this road. It didn't end well. To me, this is just going further down a dead-end.

Speaking of High-character guys, just because Walker complained ONCE(at an inopportune time, I admit but still....), doesn't mean he's not of High-character. He was very involved with the Boston community in terms of charities and the like during his Celtic days....

[ddh33]

Originally posted by: MightyToine

Speaking of High-character guys, just because Walker complained ONCE(at an inopportune time, I admit but still....), doesn't mean he's not of High-character. He was very involved with the Boston community in terms of charities and the like during his Celtic days....

MT, I didn't mean to imply that Walker was not a good guy. That isn't fair to him. He seems like an emotional guy who wants to help. I just don't think he can here. I've said it all season, he's a bad fit.

My point was that Walker should be moved out this summer (because he's a bad fit), but there is no reason to send out the other guys from this team who have made sacrifices for this team - especially if you're going to replace them with players who, by reputation, are pretty selfish.

[SeriousSummer]

I don't claim this these trades will make Dallas into Detroit as a defensive team, but I think they'll make us better than a year ago when Dallas went to the WCF.

A defensive-minded presence at center will help. And, if he halfway tries, McGrady will be a world of improvement at SF. He has great athleticism.

[kingrex]

I know it may seem to the Dallas fan that the Mavs are giving up a lot to get McGrady, but I'm not so sure that Orlando would feel that way. They would want a superstar in return for McGrady, and as much as I love Finley and Jamison, they are not superstars.

The trade proposition that I heard from Craig Miller goes something like this:
Dallas trades:
Steve Nash
Dirk Nowitzki
Shawn Bradley

Dallas gets:
Tracy McGrady
Grant Hill
#1 Draft Pick (which if they get the #1 overall pick may be Okafor)

New Starting Lineup:
Daniels
McGrady
Howard/Finley
Jamison/Walker
Okafor

Instantly the youngest and possibly most athletic team line-up in the West.

[Stressboy]

Kingrex that is way too much to give for McGrady and besides, Orlando is not going to be in the strongest position. They have to move him to get value for him and this summer is probably the best time to do that since there are a lot of good players available. Orlando has 3 options:

1) trade McGrady by himself and get an allstar and probably a pick or a small package. Ex. Steve Francis, Cato and a #1 for McGrady and Howard.

2) trade McGrady for picks and youth. Ex. Curry/Heinrich/Pippen/S&TFizer/Chicago pick for McGrady. This is a high price, but Chicago would have to consider it. Would McGrady agree to go to such a team (doubtful).

3) Get as much as possible and clear cap. Ex. Dallas trades finley/Walker/Howard/Bradley for McGrady/Grant/Howard.

Now you can work a lot of teams into these 3 scenarios, but the last one has the fewest possibilities. Dallas could fall into a combo of 2/3 by doing S&T Danials(Can we do that if we dip into MLE?)/Howard/Bradley/Walker for McGrady/Grant. Then we could move Finley and Jamison in seperate deals if necessary.

If the S&T with Danials could work, we are one of the few that could do both, clear cap for Orlando and give them lots of young talent.

Nash/Finley/McGrady/Jamison/Dirk would be our best 5 but hopefully we could trade Fin for Davis/Chandler and keep Jamison as the 6th man.

Orlando would be: PG?/Danials/Howard/Walker/Okafur? and Gordon with a whole lot of cap after Walker leaves or is traded. Hell a team like Seattle might move Ray Allen for him at the trade deadline if they had to.

That is a lot of young talent to build around, but again it depends on what they are trying to accomplish. I said all that to just prove the point that we can get McGrady without giving up a top 10 guy like Dirk.

Stressboy