New from DB.com - Mavs' approach to the summer

[LRB]

Lost me here though... this totally remains to be seen, based upon the moves made, advances in players game, new coaching style, and many other factors. Finley is a piece to the puzzle, a very expensive one, but one that can be replaced. All pieces can be replaced for the right price, and piece.

But we have nothing extra to use to buy something. Whether Fin stays or goes we are still over the cap and only have the MLE and minimum salaries to spend. With Fin gone we have less assets to trade. We already have holes that we need to use the MLE to fill. Is it possible that we can find a SG as good or better than Fin? Yes, it is. However, there aren't that many of those, and the ones that are come with a high price that we almost asuredly won't be able to buy for money straight out, or would require us to spend enough tradeable assets that it would create at least as many holes as it filled.

Bottom line is that most likely we'll have to settle for a vet minimum SG/SF and move either Stack or Quis into the starting rotation. So instead of having Fin and Howard start and Quis and Stack back them up, we have Howard and Stack or Quis start and then the one not starting out of stack or Quis plus some minimum wage scrub to back them up. That's assuming that we don't have to trade Quis or Stack to get a decent backup center/PF. Of course then we could use the MLE for a SG/SF combo. Still we're unlikely to get Fin's level of talent at the MLE. And what if Stack or Quis or Howard get hurt. We've much less depth now and it will hurt, possibly taking out of any contention for homecourt advantage. There aren't too many teams that have won a championship without having homecourt advantage in any round of the playoffs. It may be possible, but it's fools odds.

So the only possible way it makes sense to cut Fin is if the Mavs want to spend time rebuilding and play lesser talent to get them experience while also dropping down in the standings to get a better draft pick. Still that's a hard road to take, because unless we don't resign Dirk or Howard or we dump some major salaries elsewhere, it's unlikely that we'll have any cap flexibility for a long time. We're betting being able to out think our competition and get very good players as late draft picks or rookie free agents.

[dalmations202]

I realize you really like Fin, but Dallas has many pieces. I am not wanting them to move Fin either, but understand if they do -- if he refuses to become a role player, and the money saved is just a piece to winning the prize. I don't know enough about the whole situation (and I doubt most on this board truly do) to make that decision -- especially since it is Mark/Donnie's decision anyway.

I may not agree with your reasoning, but understand where you are coming from.