I would be over the moon with brown at 9
*** Official 2025 - 2026 Dallas Mavericks Season Thread ***
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Last: 2 hrs ago by satexas
As would I. I think Mikel Brown Jr. probably has the highest upside overall of any of the guards after top four. He's not quite Acuff offensively at this moment, but not far behind. He's just a naturally taller and better athlete, so his defensive upside is good enough. His areas of improvement are perimeter shooting and just overall defensive awareness at high levels. I could see Mikel Brown Jr. being an All-NBA guard in four years. I am note sure I see that with any of the other guards except Wagler and Acuff, and Acuff only if he becomes a hybrid Brunson/D-Rose type of offensive guard where the offensive gifts just wow you.
Tksymm7 said:
As would I. I think Mikel Brown Jr. probably has the highest upside overall of any of the guards after top four. He's not quite Acuff offensively at this moment, but not far behind. He's just a naturally taller and better athlete, so his defensive upside is good enough. His areas of improvement are perimeter shooting and just overall defensive awareness at high levels. I could see Mikel Brown Jr. being an All-NBA guard in four years. I am note sure I see that with any of the other guards except Wagler and Acuff, and Acuff only if he becomes a hybrid Brunson/D-Rose type of offensive guard where the offensive gifts just wow you.
I know his 3PT% from this season isn't great, but his profile still projects as a great shooter. It basically boils down to "you don't take that many 3 pointers if you aren't good at them" lol. People who have done the deep dive look at the types of shots he was taking and chalk it up to the fact that he was Louisville's entire offense and was consistently having to take tough pull up jumpers.
He shot 47.6% from 3 at the FIBA U19 World Cup on 42 attempts. He also shot almost 85% from the FT line in college. People expect his 3 point shot to be very good.
Defensively, his profile is actually much better than some are making it seem. Evan Miya had him graded as Louisville's best non-big defender of their important minutes guys. The steal percentage is solid at 2.4% and his defensive win shares per 40 are slightly superior to Tyler Tanner, who was a very good college defender.
I slightly favor Wagler because the overall production and being the engine on one of the best team's in the country. But I think we should be ecstatic if we end up with Brown, assuming the back is fine.
BREAKING: Jason Kidd is out as coach of the Dallas Mavericks. New Mavericks president Masai Ujiri is making a coaching change. pic.twitter.com/NKeOrEm5rh
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 19, 2026
M.C. Swag said:BREAKING: Jason Kidd is out as coach of the Dallas Mavericks. New Mavericks president Masai Ujiri is making a coaching change. pic.twitter.com/NKeOrEm5rh
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 19, 2026
I honestly believe Luka is coming back now lol. All the villains of that trade are gone.
You can't have Sean Sweeney back.
Another thing I was thinking about last night during that game; as good as I think Coop is and will be, and as good a front office as I think we have now, I came away from that game thinking that we are nowhere close and should seriously consider trading Kyrie, Naji, PJ, Gafford etc. starting with Kyrie. I am not saying trade the house, but trade pieces and get assets back that make this team younger and align with Cooper's timeline.
OH CRAP.
It's official. This is Masai's gig to do whatever he wants.
It's official. This is Masai's gig to do whatever he wants.
Go get Sweeney
Tksymm7 said:
Another thing I was thinking about last night during that game; as good as I think Coop is and will be, and as good a front office as I think we have now, I came away from that game thinking that we are nowhere close and should seriously consider trading Kyrie, Naji, PJ, Gafford etc. starting with Kyrie. I am not saying trade the house, but trade pieces and get assets back that make this team younger and align with Cooper's timeline.
Kyrie won't have any value until he shows that he is healthy and can play again.
And even then, he is only going to have value to very small numbers of teams because he has a shelf life and has been a distraction in the past. Only a team that thinks they need him to contend are going to want him.
Rockets pair up Ky/Durant again? Fits the timeline and the need.
Detroit has Cade, but needs a 2nd option.
Hawks need him, but don't become a contending team with him.
Miami desperation move?
Timberwolves desperation move? They would have to dump Randle somewhere. Want Randle+DDV's rotting corpse?
Doubt Boston wants him back.
OKC, SA, Lakers, 76ers, Charlotte, Cavs, Knicks don't need him.
The big, obvious problem with selling off all these players is the Mavs don't control their own draft pick again until 2031. Can't tank.
Nobody controls their draft picks anymore lol.
It's not even worth getting Brooklyn's pick from Houston.
Kyrie's long term value is probably intangible to the Mavs. It's teaching Flemings/Burries/Brown how to finish around the rim.
It's not even worth getting Brooklyn's pick from Houston.
Kyrie's long term value is probably intangible to the Mavs. It's teaching Flemings/Burries/Brown how to finish around the rim.
I'm only trading Kyrie, Gaff, or PJ if I get a top 20 pick in this year's draft. I'll trade Klay for a pick in the 20s.
And no other team is doing that, probably.
And no other team is doing that, probably.
Everything else you said is fine but Kyrie has not only been a good soldier for the past 3.5 years, but an actual leader in the locker room. I think whatever distraction label he had has been shed.
I think Kyrie has real value to a handful of win now teams out there. Hawks, Rockets, Pistons, Heat, Timberwolves and even the Raptors I think would give up good assets to have Kyrie be their Number 2 and their Number 1 in clutch playoff spots. Heck I think the Hawks would think about giving up 7 for Kyrie and Gafford or Lively (not considering money just players). Not one of these guards is nearly as good as what Kyrie is right now, and especially in the playoffs.
No, you aren't going to get "premium" assets back for Kyrie. I consider premium a top four pick this year, or a young player like Amen Thompson. But I think he's absolutely worth a pick and another player for the 7th pick, or a rockets first next year (not Brooklyn's pick) and someone like Reed Shephard.
No, you aren't going to get "premium" assets back for Kyrie. I consider premium a top four pick this year, or a young player like Amen Thompson. But I think he's absolutely worth a pick and another player for the 7th pick, or a rockets first next year (not Brooklyn's pick) and someone like Reed Shephard.
Good. The house is clean. I think Kidd is a decent coach, but I think he also has a running personal agenda that is not always in the team's best interest
M.C. Swag said:
Everything else you said is fine but Kyrie has not only been a good soldier for the past 3.5 years, but an actual leader in the locker room. I think whatever distraction label he had has been shed.
While I don't disagree at all, that doesn't mean teams won't use pre-Mavs reputation to lower the value they attach. They SHOULD do that because it benefits them to add talent as cheap as possible. That's why Dallas was able to get him for a far distant 1st, two seconds and two role players.
The bottom line is Kyrie is probably more valuable to the Mavs than other teams unless a team like Houston, Detroit, or Minnesota makes a panic move to get a good second scorer/playmaker. But even then, his value will certainly be depressed compared to playing value to the Mavs because he is 34 and coming off a major injury.
Vessel said:
Nobody controls their draft picks anymore lol.
But selling off all your best players as was suggested makes no sense when you don't own your own picks. You can't tank a season and grab Tyran Stokes to go with Flagg and Brown. Mavs have to look to improve.
Forgive the FB post but he didn't post to X yet
I'm not saying tank, and I don't think that's what you're suggesting either, but wanted it get that out there.
I mean trading guys like Kyrie, Naji and PJ for assets now, picks now or next year. Not trying to cash lottery tickets in three years. Guys in the same vein as Reed Sheppard, Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, Dyson Daniels or Josh Giddey. 23 and unders that are talented but have some unrecognized ceiling. Or picks that are going to get you more chances at guys in the 10-20 range etc. Obviously not easy trades necessarily but you get my point.
I mean trading guys like Kyrie, Naji and PJ for assets now, picks now or next year. Not trying to cash lottery tickets in three years. Guys in the same vein as Reed Sheppard, Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, Dyson Daniels or Josh Giddey. 23 and unders that are talented but have some unrecognized ceiling. Or picks that are going to get you more chances at guys in the 10-20 range etc. Obviously not easy trades necessarily but you get my point.
dvldog said:
Forgive the FB post but he didn't post to X yet
Seems like Ujiri is cleaning house of anyone there before. Wonder if that means no bringing back Sweeney.
Some guys with ties:
Mike Schmitz (GM) came from Portland. Tiago Splitter?
Adrian Griffin (former Mavs player) was assistant coach in Toronto for a long time before coaching in Milwaukee when Doc Rivers got him fired, despite that great record.
The 76ers just fired that liar Daryl Morey. Would the new GM fire Nick Nurse, who won the title with Ujiri?
Nate Bjorkgren was assistant on the Raptors title team and has been an assistant the last couple years in Portland where Schmitz came from.
I think Nick Nurse is a very good coach.
Yeah, I just don't know that you are going to get good value for trades that way. I think it is possible that you get some value for Kyrie when he proves he is back to his old self, but I think he would be more valuable mentoring the new PG drafted.
Naji could probably get the most value because his contract is cheap (9m 1y) and everyone needs big strong, defensive wings.
I think it is going to be a hard sell to trade most of those guys for a prospect, also because guys like PJ, Gaff, Etc make a lot more than the rookie deals, so it might involve taking bad salary back.
So the teams with the roughest cap situation are:
OKC
Cleveland
Denver
Orlando
Knicks
Sacramento
Orlando Suggs and Goga for Kyrie would get the Mavs cheaper and give a backup for Lively, so the Mavs could then try to get value for Gafford. But it is a net neutral for both teams as the salaries basically offset and Orlando probably needs to cut salary.
Maybe with Cleveland you could do something around Gafford for Jarrett Allen to get Jaylon Tyson? I have no clue really.
Denver has some players I would be interested in, but a guy like Cam Johnson makes just too much to bring into the TPE.
The Thunder might be the best team to take players from, but Presti will drive a hard bargain and likely doesn't want to move them to a rising team in the West.
Naji could probably get the most value because his contract is cheap (9m 1y) and everyone needs big strong, defensive wings.
I think it is going to be a hard sell to trade most of those guys for a prospect, also because guys like PJ, Gaff, Etc make a lot more than the rookie deals, so it might involve taking bad salary back.
So the teams with the roughest cap situation are:
OKC
Cleveland
Denver
Orlando
Knicks
Sacramento
Orlando Suggs and Goga for Kyrie would get the Mavs cheaper and give a backup for Lively, so the Mavs could then try to get value for Gafford. But it is a net neutral for both teams as the salaries basically offset and Orlando probably needs to cut salary.
Maybe with Cleveland you could do something around Gafford for Jarrett Allen to get Jaylon Tyson? I have no clue really.
Denver has some players I would be interested in, but a guy like Cam Johnson makes just too much to bring into the TPE.
The Thunder might be the best team to take players from, but Presti will drive a hard bargain and likely doesn't want to move them to a rising team in the West.
This game wild too
It'll never get old seeing harden choke away games. He's the best ever at it.
There aren't many players in the NBA more fun to watch than Brunson.
Quite the choke job by Cleveland
It really is amazing how it's almost never brought up about how the palming of the ball in the modern era is essentially a different sport
Kyrie thinks the earth is flat.
Seriously, he does.
That's all you need to know.
Seriously, he does.
That's all you need to know.
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