LeBron James has chosen the Philadelphia 76ers as the next team he will play for in his illustrious career. As James has been wont to do over the past two decades, he once again took his time in making a decision before joining up with the newly reloaded 76ers who benefited from the acquisition of Jaylen Brown earlier in the offseason.
It was widely believed that James all but halted the offseason for the entire league, as other transactions were put on hold pending the outcome of his latest decision.
Some teams, including the Dallas Mavericks, operated around such roadblocks, but now that there are at least four more teams – more than 10% of the league – no longer in play for James’ services (the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves were all rumored as serious suitors), it’s widely expected further transactions will now take place.
As things took shape, the Mavericks were doing work. They quite literally scoured the earth for talent in an effort to get younger and more athletic around franchise cornerstone, Cooper Flagg. Much of those efforts took place in the margins, but with James’ stranglehold on the proceedings now released, Dallas may very well be poised to move some of their now-redundant pieces as they continue to rebuild. Following are arguably the three most likely candidates to find themselves in different uniforms by the start of next season.
Klay Thompson
Thompson may be the most obvious candidate to be moved off the Dallas roster. He came to Dallas as the missing piece in a championship team, only to watch those prospects dissolve mere months later at the hands of Nico Harrison. Since that time, Thompson’s presumably limited remaining playing career has been spent on an oft-injured 26-win team. He has remained a professional through it all, but one has to assume he’d like a chance to join a team on his own terms and pursue immediate playoff basketball.
Where Thompson would go is anyone’s guess, but a reunion with the Golden State Warriors (who are now free of James’ hold) would be charming, assuming Thompson reconciles his differences with them. The Miami Heat (also out of the James running) make a lot of sense, too. Both clubs offer Thompson a chance to win now, rather than spend the remaining years of his career in a rebuild. Whatever the case, it would be nice to see Thompson get a chance to play past April, and it would afford Dallas the chance to let their younger players get necessary reps. Moving Thompson is a win/win.
Daniel Gafford
I am a fan of Daniel Gafford and have long been an advocate for keeping him in Big D. While I remain a fan, one of the biggest reasons I wanted him to stick around was because the prospect of having zero capable centers on the roster was far from ideal. That scenario has now changed with the acquisition of Santi Aldama, the return of Moussa Cisse, the selection of Morez Johnson, Jr. in this summer’s NBA Draft and an overall influx of size. Not all of these players are centers in the truest sense, but the Mavericks have gotten taller and longer overall and should be more than capable of going big even in the absence of Gafford. If Derek Lively returns healthy, they will be better positioned still.
It feels as though the writing is on the wall for Gafford, as rumors have swirled around him since last season’s trade deadline. At this point, it is probably for the best for both sides to find a new destination where he fits the timeline better, and where the Mavs can restock some draft capital or obtain some guard depth. The latest rumors have him packaged with none other than…
P.J. Washington
Whether or not Washington is packaged with Gafford, it seems there is a real chance he could be shipped out. He (along with Gafford) is one of the higher paid players on the team but still has a tradable contract. Moving him, especially in light of the glut of forwards on the team, which has only increased in size this offseason, could potentially offer the Mavs financial flexibility or at least the opportunity to pick up some equally-paid talent or picks. It’s difficult to envision the Mavs stripping out all of their veteran leadership, but with Naji Marshall’s presence and his ability to ball-handle and create his own shot, there is a strong case to be made that he sticks around over Washington.
Rumors are now circulating that both Washington and Gafford could be moved in the same transaction, albeit to different locations. The rumored framework sends Washington to the Portland Trailblazers, Gafford to the Utah Jazz and Jrue Holiday to the Mavericks along with a lottery-protected first round pick and three second round picks. If such a transaction comes to fruition, it would be a solid move for Dallas. They would move out two slightly older players that don’t necessarily fit long term for an even older player, but one that fits a current need and comes along with much needed draft capital. Holiday could be a boon for the Mavericks, as they work Kyrie Irving back from injury. He would also replace the veteran leadership lost in Washington and Gafford, while serving as a mentor to young guards Sergio De Larrea and Marcus Sasser. He has two years remaining on his contract, which frankly, is massive ($35 million plus each year) and the primary drawback to such a deal.
For now, all we have are rumors and speculation, but with the brakes off for the remainder of the summer, it’s fair to expect one or more of Thompson, Gafford and Washington will be playing elsewhere come October. Stay tuned to Mavs Moneyball for all the latest transactions as and when they become reality.
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