Dallas Done?
The Mavericks are clinging to the 8th seed and are struggling to beat teams like Oklahoma City. They needed overtime to beat the Thunder last week and they just lost to them in miserable fashion last night. So the question has to be asked: do you make one last stand or do you rebuild?
To me, the obvious answer is to rebuild but I'm not sure what you can get for Dirk. Would Miami be willing to give up Beasley and possibly a pick if it means giving up cap space for 2010? What would the Warriors or Blazers be willing to give up? Can you also dump a bad contract like Dampier or Terry in the deal? If you go the rebuilding route, there's a good chance you end up with deals like this:
Dirk Nowitzki for Monta Ellis, Brandan Wright, and Corey Maggette: I think this is a lot to get for Dirk but it could happen (especially if Anthony Randolph is substituted for Wright). Corey Maggette is addition by subtraction for the Warriors so they'll just be happy to dump his contract. If the Warriors are as down as Ellis as they sounds, you might even be able to sneak out another player like Marco Bellinelli in the deal. Even if that's too much, I think reteaming Dirk with Don Nelson (whose presence is probably the main reason this deal would never happen) would be the best move for all parties.
Josh Howard, Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse for Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng (plus filler): Jerome James and another small contract would have to be a part of this deal but I like it. To be honest, I'm for it even if the Dirk deal doesn't happen but I like it even more if Dirk is gone. I'm still a believer in Luol Deng and think he is in dire need of a change in scenery. The Bulls have to take on Terry's contract but it's shorter than Deng's and they get Howard and dump more salary as Stackhosue and Howard could be off the books in 2011.
The Mavericks would have: Monta Ellis and Kirk Hinrich in the backcourt which is a pretty good tandem IMO. Hinrich can handle guarding 2 guards while also dealing with running the offense while Ellis focuses on scoring. Deng and Wright make up the forward spot and I like both of their upsides. Maggette is the 6th man.
While I kind of like that squad, it's hardly a team that is going to make the Western powers nervous. In the end, if the Mavs aren't able to get young and clear cap space (which means packaging the likes of Erick Dampier and Jason Terry along with Dirk and Howard), they probably are better off making one last run by re-signing Kidd and trying to grab someone like Vince Carter for their expiring deals.
