Now what?

[purplefrog]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Cheapskate?

Signing the guard to a $30M contract would have cost the Mavericks a total of $130M in salary/tax in one season for Brunson alone.

Cuban is a billionaire, but that tax rate is absurd. The tax alone for Brunson would match the salary of every other player combined and the repeat tax just keeps wrecking us and would prevent us from retaining Wood if he works out.

If you are going to compete with the Warriors and Clippers, then you have to pay up or be content with just making the playoffs and maybe winning a first round series. Those owners are wiling to take a deep breath and do what is necessary to compete year-in and year-out. The system stinks (I agree with Thespiralgoeson) but its the game being played right now. If the reported salary numbers are accurate, then the take away is the Mavs were outbid, not JB wanted to play for the Knicks. It may be both, but it is most certainly not only the latter.

Why not offer a five year contract worth $125M? That is at least more total money than what the Knicks are offering. And P.S. I don't care about Cuban's money. The Warriors are going through this right now with extensions on the horizon for Wiggins, Looney and Poole. I wager that at least two in that group re-sign and GSW goes deeper into the luxury tax. Clippers are positioning themselves to do the same.

An alternative to my rant, is that Nico has prepared for JB's departure and has a plan that will make us all very happy. I hope that is the case.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by purplefrog

If you are going to compete with the Warriors and Clippers, then you have to pay up or be content with just making the playoffs and maybe winning a first round series. Those owners are wiling to take a deep breath and do what is necessary to compete year-in and year-out. The system stinks (I agree with Thespiralgoeson) but its the game being played right now. If the reported salary numbers are accurate, then the take away is the Mavs were outbid, not JB wanted to play for the Knicks. It may be both, but it is most certainly not only the latter.

Why not offer a five year contract worth $125M? That is at least more total money than what the Knicks are offering. And P.S. I don't care about Cuban's money. The Warriors are going through this right now with extensions on the horizon for Wiggins, Looney and Poole. I wager that at least two in that group re-sign and GSW goes deeper into the luxury tax. Clippers are positioning themselves to do the same.

An alternative to my rant, is that Nico has prepared for JB's departure and has a plan that will make us all very happy. I hope that is the case.

+rep

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by purplefrog

If you are going to compete with the Warriors and Clippers, then you have to pay up or be content with just making the playoffs and maybe winning a first round series. Those owners are wiling to take a deep breath and do what is necessary to compete year-in and year-out. The system stinks (I agree with Thespiralgoeson) but its the game being played right now. If the reported salary numbers are accurate, then the take away is the Mavs were outbid, not JB wanted to play for the Knicks. It may be both, but it is most certainly not only the latter.

Why not offer a five year contract worth $125M? That is at least more total money than what the Knicks are offering. And P.S. I don't care about Cuban's money. The Warriors are going through this right now with extensions on the horizon for Wiggins, Looney and Poole. I wager that at least two in that group re-sign and GSW goes deeper into the luxury tax. Clippers are positioning themselves to do the same.

An alternative to my rant, is that Nico has prepared for JB's departure and has a plan that will make us all very happy. I hope that is the case.

This is hard to accept but the Warriors are a championship team. They've repeated and now have four rings. That is worth paying repeater tax for.

Mavs would be in worse shape financially and we all agree that we're at least 1-2 pieces (even WITH Brunson) from contending. I know it feels bad, but you simply don't mortgage the future for a team that is that far from a championship. That's bush league desperation stuff.

Mavs gotta retool a bit: develop Hardy, draft well in the future, make smart moves with trades, develop guys internally, and if we get to championship level we pay to bring those guys back. Overpaying guys because we have no faith in our ability to constantly improve? That's a bad move.

[saclare]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

This is hard to accept but the Warriors are a championship team. They've repeated and now have four rings. That is worth paying repeater tax for.

Mavs would be in worse shape financially and we all agree that we're at least 1-2 pieces (even WITH Brunson) from contending. I know it feels bad, but you simply don't mortgage the future for a team that is that far from a championship. That's bush league desperation stuff.

Mavs gotta retool a bit: develop Hardy, draft well in the future, make smart moves with trades, develop guys internally, and if we get to championship level we pay to bring those guys back. Overpaying guys because we have no faith in our ability to constantly improve? That's a bad move.

I hold the opinion we are championship contenders now, with or without Brunson. I honestly don't get the alternative thought. The Mavs will make another move or three, we've added Wood and THJ back, losing Brunson. Blah blah blah second best player, maybe on last year's squad. Mavs will be right back in the thick of things next season.

[Melonhead]

Originally Posted by saclare

I hold the opinion we are championship contenders now, with or without Brunson. I honestly don't get

Without? That?s just silly. Mavs don?t make it out of the first round without him in a down year. You lose a guy that can spell you and go get a bucket. West will be harder next year.

[saclare]

Originally Posted by Melonhead

Without? That?s just silly. Mavs don?t make it out of the first round without him in a down year. You lose a guy that can spell you and go get a bucket. West will be harder next year.

I don't share the same opinion, sorry. I think this Mavs team minus Brunson and plus Wood and THJ is at worst the same. Not even factoring in a full offseason for Dinwiddie/Bertans, healthy Luka, etc. etc. I also think Dinwiddie will show a lot more burst, as is the case with most players coming off of similar injuries. Typically takes a season and a half to return to where they were, modern medicine and procedures be damned. It's a tough sport where even the slightest drop to your explosiveness can dramatically change the way you can play vs. pre-injury.

And for that big bad West? Let's go through it...starting with last year's standings as a base...

1. Suns - due for a big regression with the likely loss of Ayton (if not, a large increase to his pay and their payroll), CP3 getting older, etc. etc. I see them as a team the Mavs broke

2. Grizzlies - they have a nice trajectory and are poised to be just as good if not better next season. I would have them right back at the 2 seed.

3. Warriors - defending champs, gold standard, not losing much if anyone. They will be a problem.

4. Mavs - see above

5. Jazz - lol fucked, don't think any change of coach or scenery will help mend the issues within this team

6. Nuggets - similar to Grizzlies for me with a larger question mark to health. They have the best player in the NBA, but can Murray return to form? Will Porter Jr. ever be healthy? I actually like the small trade they did, but don't think I would put them above the Mavs.

7. Timberwolves - pieces there, but they are what they are and have been. Only hope from them is a big step forward from ANT

8. Pelicans - love what they've done, but can they get Zion back and healthy and focused? If so, a team to watch out for and very similar to the Grizz

9. Clippers - obvious contender, but HUGE health concerns. They will be right at the top if they can have Kawhi and George healthy. Big IF there...

10. Spurs - set to regress, shopping Murray? Doesn't make sense to me as I thought they'd build around him.

11. Lakers - lol to the same old story. Lebron getting older yet playing out of his mind, for how much longer? AD huge health concerns and Westbrook a terrible fit. Really nothing else here but for them to hope AD is healthy.

Bottom of the barrel - Kings, Blazers, Thunder, Rockets - really only the Blazers would have a chance to truly contend pending any weight you give to the Jerami Grant acquisition and I actually like their pick of Shaedon Sharpe

EAST - will be fairly similar to last year with their true contenders being the Heat, Celtics, Bucks, and 76ers, all whom I believe the Mavs could win a 7 game series against.