2018 NBA Draft

[Magnum_3_Ball]

Originally Posted by mac222b

Idk if you can add Capela or Gordon, depending on whether you get a big or wing in the draft, you have a nice under 25 core of Capela or Gordon, DSJ, Draft pick with Barnes turning 26 and expiring after next season. 3 studs under 25 with a max salary slot open sounds pretty appealing. Maybe try to add end of prime Klay?

Yeah see my dream scenario looks more like DSJ, 1st round pick this year, Barnes, and adding RJ Barrett or Cam Reddish or Kris Wilkes i.e. some other player in next year's draft who could be in the top 5. I don't see Capela or Gordon having that kind of potential.

I'd want to keep the cap space & use it to continue to collect assets (draft picks) from teams who still need to get under the tax for the next 2 years. Kinda copy what Boston did & stockpile assets for a few years; not immediately run out & spend on Capela/Gordon & hope a guy like Klay Thompson would come here.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by Magnum_3_Ball

Yeah see my dream scenario looks more like DSJ, 1st round pick this year, Barnes, and adding RJ Barrett or Cam Reddish or Kris Wilkes i.e. some other player in next year's draft who could be in the top 5. I don't see Capela or Gordon having that kind of potential.

I'd want to keep the cap space & use it to continue to collect assets (draft picks) from teams who still need to get under the tax for the next 2 years. Kinda copy what Boston did & stockpile assets for a few years; not immediately run out & spend on Capela/Gordon & hope a guy like Klay Thompson would come here.

Boston traded major assets (the Big 3) to acquire a bunch of picks at once, which is the only reason they were able to build the way they did (which also included trading several picks for players)... Dallas has no such assets, and will probably be rebuilding for the next 5-10 years if we stick strictly to building through the draft. Plus, after this upcoming draft there's no reason to assume that we'll still be bad enough to get a top pick in 2019. If we end up with a mid-first, then chances are their ceiling will be somewhere in the range of Capela/Gordon anyway -- might as well just cut to the chase.

[Magnum_3_Ball]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Boston traded major assets (the Big 3) to acquire a bunch of picks at once, which is the only reason they were able to build the way they did (which also included trading several picks for players)... Dallas has no such assets, and will probably be rebuilding for the next 5-10 years if we stick strictly to building through the draft. Plus, after this upcoming draft there's no reason to assume that we'll still be bad enough to get a top pick in 2019. If we end up with a mid-first, then chances are their ceiling will be somewhere in the range of Capela/Gordon anyway -- might as well just cut to the chase.

I can't predict the future, and I'm definitely not well-versed enough on the salary cap to say anything definitively, but I'm suggesting our asset could be taking on bad contracts in exchange for draft picks. You're right. We don't have the big 3 to deal, but it seems like the new currency is taking on salary. Seems to be a 2 year window to capitalize on this & the Mavs are one of the few teams with that cap space. I don't see the Mavs going anywhere in the next 2 years, so we might as well stockpile (if that's an option).

I'd rather have two mid 1st round draft picks and two mid 2nd round draft picks than Capela or Gordon for a non-playoff team.

I could be wrong. I will say this. I think you're over-estimating what our 1st round pick will do for us next year. Unless it's Ayton or Doncic, I don't see that player impacting next season significantly. If it's a guy like Bamba, he could actually be a detriment his first year until his body fills out & he figures things out.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by Magnum_3_Ball

I'd rather have two mid 1st round draft picks and two mid 2nd round draft picks than Capela or Gordon for a non-playoff team.

I'd rather have one mid-first and Capela or Gordon than two mid-firsts -- both of those guys are already what you'd HOPE a mid-first could max out at. And it's not like we'd be trading for these guys, they're restricted free agents, so we'd keep our pick.. Which means you can sign them to a 4-year contract, locking them up long enough to grow alongside DSJ and whoever we draft this summer. At their age (Gordon 22, Capela 23), it's not much different than getting a draft pick, except they've already proven not to be busts. I'd say that's a MUCH better use of our cap space than absorbing useless overpaid players who are just going to waste a roster spot, keeping the "next Motley" from being called up from the Legends.

[Magnum_3_Ball]

Originally Posted by Underdog

I'd rather have one mid-first and Capela or Gordon than two mid-firsts -- both of those guys are already what you'd HOPE a mid-first could max out at. And it's not like we'd be trading for these guys, they're restricted free agents, so we'd keep our pick.. Which means you can sign them to a 4-year contract, locking them up long enough to grow alongside DSJ and whoever we draft this summer. At their age (Gordon 22, Capela 23), it's not much different than getting a draft pick, except they've already proven not to be busts. I'd say that's a MUCH better use of our cap space than absorbing useless overpaid players who are just going to waste a roster spot, keeping the "next Motley" from being called up from the Legends.

I agree with your points. Especially with a proven NBA player being more valuable than an individual draft pick in a comparable draft position.

We disagree on where the Mavs are headed next year, though. I full expect the Mavs to be a bottom 10 team in the league next year too, no matter whether they sign a big FA or not.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by Magnum_3_Ball

I agree with your points. Especially with a proven NBA player being more valuable than an individual draft pick in a comparable draft position.

We disagree on where the Mavs are headed next year, though. I full expect the Mavs to be a bottom 10 team in the league next year too, no matter whether they sign a big FA or not.

Depends on who we get in this draft, but I'd say a core of DSJ/Jaren/Barnes/Capela or DSJ/Gordon/Barnes/Ayton is going to be good enough to put us outside the top-10, especially since we'll still have cap space left to make more moves... Hell, if we can get Wes to opt out and sign a longterm deal elsewhere, then we could even add another max FA to our core (not that we will, just illustrating how much cap space we'll have to work with).

[Magnum_3_Ball]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Depends on who we get in this draft, but I'd say a core of DSJ/Jaren/Barnes/Capela or DSJ/Gordon/Barnes/Ayton is going to be good enough to put us outside the top-10, especially since we'll still have cap space left to make more moves... Hell, if we can get Wes to opt out and sign a longterm deal elsewhere, then we could even add another max FA to our core (not that we will, just illustrating how much cap space we'll have to work with).

Not saying you're wrong. I just think it'll go the other way. Outside of Harrison Barnes, we don't have a good history of getting FAs to come here.

Wes will not opt out of his deal. He'd literally have to hate money to do that. The narrative in the NBA this offseason is backup players signed in 2016 will be earning more than starters who sign this offseason. Wes is on 2015 money. He's not giving that up. He can opt in to $18.6 mil next year. There will be better players this offseason who sign 2 year deals for less than $18.6 mil.

We all do it. But, you're just saying what you'd wish for, but it's not reality. Wes is opting in. It's foolish to think otherwise.

[Robillion]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Depends on who we get in this draft, but I'd say a core of DSJ/Jaren/Barnes/Capela or DSJ/Gordon/Barnes/Ayton is going to be good enough to put us outside the top-10, especially since we'll still have cap space left to make more moves... Hell, if we can get Wes to opt out and sign a longterm deal elsewhere, then we could even add another max FA to our core (not that we will, just illustrating how much cap space we'll have to work with).

I'm sure Wes is either opting in with us or doing a longer term deal with us for lesser per year. The other thing that I expect to happen is Seth coming back. But on like $8-10million a year (instead of the close to $20 he could have commanded if we had a healthy season with production like last Dec./Spring).

If we can get an Ayton in the draft + a nice early/mid 20 yr old free agent + Seth back healthy and 15ppg level productive, I'm all for being excited about the playoffs again and think it would be very likely they make it. Then, see how that core starts gelling.... A lot of ifs though I guess.