Official Dallas Mavericks Offseason Speculation Thread

[mavs>spurs2]

Josh Howard. I'm tired of his low basketball IQ and not bothering to leave the locker room after halftime. Athletic swingmen are a lot easier to replace than post scorers. Mavs should package him with Bass and the 14th pick if Kevin Love is gone in order to get a post scorer.

I'd love to see Howard + 14th pick + filler for a low post scorer but try to keep Bass if at all possible.

[Findog]

I'd love to see Howard + 14th pick + filler for a low post scorer but try to keep Bass if at all possible.

The Mavs are going to have a hard time keeping Bass. Might as well trade him than let him walk for nothing.

He is on a two-year contract and becomes a free agent in the summer of 2009. Unfortunately, at that point, due to CBA limits the Mavs will only have the ability to offer him a deal that starts at Mid-Level (MLE) money using what is known as the Early Bird cap exception for players with 2 years of consecutive service. The MLE will likely be around $6M, meaning a team with more cap room than that could outbid the Mavs for his ongoing services.

Perhaps a multi-year deal starting at $6M (and raises) will be enough. Or perhaps he would sign a one-year deal for that $6M, getting the Mavs to 3 years of service and the ability to then offer in the summer of 2010 any contractual amount using the full Bird rights that kick in after 3 years.

But the better he gets, the harder it may be to keep him.

[Findog]

Also, according to the latest mock draft, Kevin Love has played himself into the top ten. ! How the is he behind Brook Lopez and DeAndre Jordan?

[mavs>spurs2]

Things just aren't looking any better for the Mavs

[Findog]

Things just aren't looking any better for the Mavs

Nope.

[mavs>spurs2]

Mavs should work on a Package sending Terry, Howard, Bass, and the 14th pick to the Clippers for Brand and Magette. I don't know that they'd do it but it's something to think about.

[Findog]

Mavs should work on a Package sending Terry, Howard, Bass, and the 14th pick to the Clippers for Brand and Magette. I don't know that they'd do it but it's something to think about.

If it adds salary, the Clips won't do it, regardless of what it does for them from a talent standpoint. Mavs will have to do a s-n-t for any free agents, so you could pitch it to the original team as getting something for nothing instead of letting a guy completely walk. Howard's contract is a very good value, while Terry's is awful. Bass is getting paid almost nothing, and he's a young guy with a lot of potential, so him, Howard and the 14th pick might be enough to entice them to take Terry as well, but I doubt it. I would love to get Elton Brand here, but I think that's a pipe dream. The other thing with Brand is, he's 6'8. Can he play center for us? Both he and Dirk would be out on the floor for 35 minutes a night. Between the two of them, that would only leave about 13 minutes at center for Erick Dampier. Do you want to pay Damp $10 million a year to play that little?

I'm not saying don't get Elton Brand on account of Erick Dampier, but something would have to be done about him because of the minutes crunch if Brand comes here.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Mavs should work on a Package sending Terry, Howard, Bass, and the 14th pick to the Clippers for Brand and Magette. I don't know that they'd do it but it's something to think about.

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showpost...4&postcount=40
Any of these strike your interest?

[mavs>spurs2]

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showpost...4&postcount=40
Any of these strike your interest?

The first 2 deals would definately be home runs for the Mavs but I highly doubt the Clips accept either. Anything involving getting rid of Stackhouse and gaining a low post scorer is a win-win situation.

[Findog]

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showpost...4&postcount=40
Any of these strike your interest?

Oh yeah, of course. Question is, do those strike Donald Sterling's interest? He doesn't like to add salary, and Terry/Stack/Dampier have horrible contracts. They're useful players, but they're all way overpaid. Stack has another 2 years on his deal, while Terry and Damp still have 3 and 4 left on theirs.

[mavs>spurs2]

I think alot of our problems boil down to the fact that our best player is a PF who isn't a post scorer and the unavailability of the traditional center.

[Findog]

Could Brand play small forward for us? Does he have the lateral quickness to stay with swingmen out on the perimeter?

[Findog]

I think alot of our problems boil down to the fact that our best player is a PF who isn't a post scorer and the unavailability of the traditional center.

Yep. Dampier and Diop never scored enough in the post to make up for Dirk's lack of post scoring. Although Damp has been a lot more effective with Kidd. It might be better to miss the playoffs, and make sure we get Kevin Love. He's played his way into the 9-11 range thanks to the tournament, whereas we'll pick at 14. We're not a typical lottery team, so it's not like he'd come here and be asked to be the savior. He'd go a long way towards shoring up post scoring and he's a good rebounder. Him and a legit 2-guard might make for a successful offseason.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Could Brand play small forward for us? Does he have the lateral quickness to stay with swingmen out on the perimeter?

Before I say no, what were your plans if the answer was yes?

[mavs>spurs2]

Could Brand play small forward for us? Does he have the lateral quickness to stay with swingmen out on the perimeter?

I'm not exactly the expert on Elton Brand, but from what i've seen I don't think he has the speed/quickness to guard swingmen. If i'm wrong, your idea just might work because we would match up like this:

Dirk guards the opposing teams PF, while Brand takes the swingman.(assuming he's capable)
On the offensive end, they simply switch positions and Brand takes the low post allowing Dirk to play outside.

[Findog]

Before I say no, what were your plans if the answer was yes?

It's just a conundrum. He plays the same position as Dirk, would give us post scoring we desperately lack, but how do you make it work? Can Brand guard the opposing team's best big, because Dirk can't do it without getting into foul trouble. Brand is 6'8, Dirk is 7'0. Dirk has worked really hard on defense and the best you can say is that he's mediocre now. He's smart enough to be in position and where he's supposed to be, he does a good job of contesting shots at the rim, and he'll give out hard fouls rather than surrender easy baskets. But he's never going to be an all-defense team guy or anything like that.

The other thing is that if we could somehow acquire Brand, then we have no use paying Dampier $10 million to only play 14 minutes a game. Something would have to be done about him.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

How much money will be available for free agents this offseason for the Mavs?

[Findog]

How much money will be available for free agents this offseason for the Mavs?

We'll be way over the cap. Therefore, any free agents acquired would have to be done in a sign and trade, sending back same amount of salary as we're bringing in. Therefore, if Elton Brand opts out as expected, and wants to come to Dallas for say $15 million a year, he'd have to resign with the Clippers and the Mavs would have to send that amount of salary back to the Clippers.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

They don't have an LLE or MLE?

[mavs>spurs2]

We'll be way over the cap. Therefore, any free agents acquired would have to be done in a sign and trade, sending back same amount of salary as we're bringing in. Therefore, if Elton Brand opts out as expected, and wants to come to Dallas for say $15 million a year, he'd have to resign with the Clippers and the Mavs would have to send that amount of salary back to the Clippers.

We'd have to get them to take some combination of Howard, Bass, Terry, and Stackhouse equaling close to 15mil. (With Terry or Stackhouse being involved only to make the salaries work) The Clips might take it rather than letting him walk for free, who knows?

[Findog]

They don't have an LLE or MLE?

Yeah, we'll have those, but Brand makes $12 million a year right now. If he opts out, it's because he wants a raise and to get away from the Clippers.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

How do you guys feel about using most (or perhaps all) of the MLE on Jamario Moon?

[Findog]

How do you guys feel about using most (or perhaps all) of the MLE on Jamario Moon?

It would hinge on moving Howard elsewhere to fill our need for either postscoring or a 2-guard.

[The Nba Is Rigged]

I don't really even care who gets traded this off-season, anyone can be traded imo. And I think Josh Howard should be traded, and get rid of most of the fools on our bench

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Is Maurice Ager still Mavs property? I don't see him listed on the Mavs roster.