I wonder if the FO plans on signing some filler contracts for the next 2 years like DJ so they can make a run at Giannis. It's becoming more common for players to leave after their first extension because the super max just isn't that much better a deal.

I also wonder if Wes pulls a Devin Harris move and returns next season for cheap - he'll be 33 and I'm pretty sure has a good relationship with the FO. He's always been a great glue guy and I wouldn't mind him off the bench.

So who would y'all pick to be the 3rd star to round out this team?
Giannis?

Galborathelion said:

---

It's becoming more common for players to leave after their first extension because the super max just isn't that much better a deal.

---

There was some talk about this on Zach Lowe's podcast the other day. The idea was these contracts are getting so huge that the players don't really care about the difference between $200MM and $240MM.

The Mavs have already planted the seeds for Giannis by drafting his brother. That's obviously the end-game.

If they strike out there, we'll have to see who they can attract with the cap space they'll have in 2021.

People keep talking about the Mavs having 20mm this summer, but isn't some of that going to have to go to Finney-Smith & Kleber?

Good Aggie Hunting said:

---

Dirk, Luka, and Portzingis on the same team all together.

---

Bertans and Goran Dragic may want to join.

Marc Gasol for Harrison Barnes is a salary match.

Worst case scenario: Porzingis signs the QO this summer and leaves after next season. The Mavs are unable to sign any big names and don't have any meaningful draft picks. Luka demands a trade in year 4.

It's happening.

M.C. Swag said:

---

The Mavs have already planted the seeds for Giannis by drafting his brother. That's obviously the end-game.

If they strike out there, we'll have to see who they can attract with the cap space they'll have in 2021.

---

My god yes please

Good Aggie Hunting said:

---

Dirk, Luka, and Portzingis on the same team all together.

---

Holding out for a title run with no Americans in the starting 5.

The Cuban Wall

PDEMDHC said:

---

Also, should we change the picture in the OP?

---

Nope, let it serve as a reminder for how much has been done this season

Plus, I still think it's an awesome pic

So I haven't seen yet, when is Portzingis expected to be healthy again?

Rumors are that he'll be good to go after the All star break

M.C. Swag said:

---

Rumors are that he'll be good to go after the All star break

---

This is great. Kind of reminds me of the early Dirk, Nash, Finley days where the team wasn't particularly good, but it was fun to watch them develop because you knew it was going somewhere. Prior to this year, they had just been aimlessly floating around without any real direction.

PooDoo said:

---

So who would y'all pick to be the 3rd star to round out this team?
Giannis?

---

Assuming Kristaps gets close to what he was, Barnes will be the 3rd best on the team. The Mavs have never had a 3rd option as good as Barnes. It'll be a matter of Carlisle managing egos and Barnes accepting his role. If he does that is a very solid trio.

Seven Costanza said:

---

Worst case scenario: Porzingis signs the QO this summer and leaves after next season. The Mavs are unable to sign any big names and don't have any meaningful draft picks. Luka demands a trade in year 4.

---

Of course it is a risk, but consider the following. After the draft lottery night just 9 months ago the Mavericks had DSJ + the 2018 number 5 pick. Not great. Had they done nothing risky they would likely have DSJ + Wendell Carter Jr. right now and the Mavs would be very bad. Yes they would have all of their picks but it would be tank season again.

Instead, within 9 months they have turned DSJ + the 2018 number 5 pick into Luka + Porzingas. That is crazy. More good news is that 2 of the 3 picks that they had to give up are protected. That means that it is very possible, bordering on likely, that the Mavs don't give up a single top 10 pick with any of those 3 picks. More good news is that all 3 of the NYK contracts the Mavs had to eat will be off the books before Luka is due his big contract. I don't see the Mavs being hamstrung financially too badly long term here. Anyways, I'm just glad I'm not talking myself into DSJ + Wendell Carter Jr.

Barnes is trash. He will not be the long term solution and I won't be surprised if we unload him before the trade deadline.

Not counting the obvious mega stars like giannis, KD, etc, I think a knock down shooting guard would pair well with Luka and staps. Maybe someone like Bradley Beal? Or klay if he decides to leave.

ticket guys talking about the mavs picking up a $12.5MM trade exception in this deal and going after Vucevic before the deadline.

jeffdjohnson said:

---

Seven Costanza said:

---

Worst case scenario: Porzingis signs the QO this summer and leaves after next season. The Mavs are unable to sign any big names and don't have any meaningful draft picks. Luka demands a trade in year 4.

---

Of course it is a risk, but consider the following. After the draft lottery night just 9 months ago the Mavericks had DSJ + the 2018 number 5 pick. Not great. Had they done nothing risky they would likely have DSJ + Wendell Carter Jr. right now and the Mavs would be very bad. Yes they would have all of their picks but it would be tank season again.

Instead, within 9 months they have turned DSJ + the 2018 number 5 pick into Luka + Porzingas. That is crazy. More good news is that 2 of the 3 picks that they had to give up are protected. That means that it is very possible, bordering on likely, that the Mavs don't give up a single top 10 pick with any of those 3 picks. More good news is that all 3 of the NYK contracts the Mavs had to eat will be off the books before Luka is due his big contract. I don't see the Mavs being hamstrung financially too badly long term here. Anyways, I'm just glad I'm not talking myself into DSJ + Wendell Carter Jr.

---

The biggest risk the Mavs have taken with any of this is KP's health. Other than that, the rest is nickels.

Old School Brother said:

---

ticket guys talking about the mavs picking up a $12.5MM trade exception in this deal and going after Vucevic before the deadline.

---

How would that work with staps? Staps can't guard 4s. Can vucevic?

I've got to think they have some level of assurance that Kristaps is "healthy," right? Are there rules regarding the depth of due diligence on a player's health prior to a trade?

NoahAg said:

---

I've got to think they have some level of assurance that Kristaps is "healthy," right? Are there rules regarding the depth of due diligence on a player's health prior to a trade?

---

Yea he'll have to pass a physical inspection for the trade to go through.

If Barnes is our 3rd best player we're screwed.

We don't need max deal 6th men.

M.C. Swag said:

---

NoahAg said:

---

I've got to think they have some level of assurance that Kristaps is "healthy," right? Are there rules regarding the depth of due diligence on a player's health prior to a trade?

---

Yea he'll have to pass a physical inspection for the trade to go through.

---

At basically whatever level the receiving team deems acceptable.

OKC's doctor did not approve of Tyson Chandler's toe when the Hornets/Pelicans did the deal to send him to the Thunder (ironically, the doctor was the one who had done the surgery).

However, the Grizzlies kicked the can on Parsons knee injury. I know that was a FA deal, but the player can be injured and the team know about it and accept the player in a trade anyway.

Random note: There's a reasonable chance that Porzingis and Doncic will privately communicate with each other in Spanish rather than English. Both played in Spain for several years during their teenage years and are 100% fluent in Spanish. Doncic has said that he is much more comfortable speaking Spanish than English, although I'm sure he his English will catch up quickly now that he's living in the US. Porzingis appears to be a near-native English speaker at this point.

Looks like Dirk won't get to play with Kristaps.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/25902807/kristaps-porzingis-likely-play-season-mark-cuban-says

Any chance the Mavs are putting Porzingis on ice for the year and going to tank the rest of the season and see if they can get in on the Zion sweepstakes?

Might as well. The lottery odds have been flattened out so it's not as advantageous to be the absolute worst team like it used to be.

Seven Costanza said:

---

Random note: There's a reasonable chance that Porzingis and Doncic will privately communicate with each other in Spanish rather than English. Both played in Spain for several years during their teenage years and are 100% fluent in Spanish. Doncic has said that he is much more comfortable speaking Spanish than English, although I'm sure he his English will catch up quickly now that he's living in the US. Porzingis appears to be a near-native English speaker at this point.

---

I've got 4 kids in Spanish immersion. It's not exactly a secret code.

chris1515 said:

---

Any chance the Mavs are putting Porzingis on ice for the year and going to tank the rest of the season and see if they can get in on the Zion sweepstakes?

Might as well. The lottery odds have been flattened out so it's not as advantageous to be the absolute worst team like it used to be.

---

I've seen this sentiment floated around twitter and I don't buy it. Carlisle fought tooth and nail against tanking and hated every second of it last year. Besides that, Doncic is still going to play balls to the wall. I don't think this team will tank. It's just not in the DNA of this organization or its players. Especially for a 14% (at best) chance for Zion.

94chem said:

---

Seven Costanza said:

---

Random note: There's a reasonable chance that Porzingis and Doncic will privately communicate with each other in Spanish rather than English. Both played in Spain for several years during their teenage years and are 100% fluent in Spanish. Doncic has said that he is much more comfortable speaking Spanish than English, although I'm sure he his English will catch up quickly now that he's living in the US. Porzingis appears to be a near-native English speaker at this point.

---

I've got 4 kids in Spanish immersion. It's not exactly a secret code.

---

That's great for your kids. Was there an implication that it was a secret code? It's just interesting to think about two Eastern Europeans finding Spanish as their common language in the United States.

M.C. Swag said:

---

chris1515 said:

---

Any chance the Mavs are putting Porzingis on ice for the year and going to tank the rest of the season and see if they can get in on the Zion sweepstakes?

Might as well. The lottery odds have been flattened out so it's not as advantageous to be the absolute worst team like it used to be.

---

I've seen this sentiment floated around twitter and I don't buy it. Carlisle fought tooth and nail against tanking and hated every second of it last year. Besides that, Doncic is still going to play balls to the wall. I don't think this team will tank. It's just not in the DNA of this organization or its players. Especially for a 14% (at best) chance for Zion.

---

we'd never out and out tank in Dirks last season. We might lose anyways, but we aren't going to tank with Luka on the team either.

just my opinion

Forget tanking. There are plenty of good players in the top 10. Just gotta guess right and get another piece.