TBT: Dallas Mavericks

Question - what, or whom, are the Dallas Mavericks, and what do they want with us?

The Dallas Mavericks had themselves a year, that�s for sure. Eventful, exciting, spontaneous, none of which were overly good for the franchise and the wellbeing of the Dallas faithful. The Front Office, with a brave face, tried to avoid hitting all the potholes while they went careening down the hill, stopping short of falling into a Wemby-sized chasm, and being the answer to an historical NSL trivia question.


Cracking the LJ Code: New number, who is this?

�Now, raise your hand if you�ve ever felt victimised by an LJ trade negotiation?�

*ROOM TEPIDLY RAISES THEIR HANDS*

There�s no doubt that the enigmatic LJ has many friends and fans. His warmth and love for the league radiates through the discord coding infrastructure, with his friendly, supportive quips like �that looks good�, �nice work� and �thanks� littered through the NSL channels, boosting the morale of the collective community. As long as there is NSL, there will be the effervescent and unsinkable, LJ.

Some would say LJ is difficult to trade with. Some would say LJ is difficult to keep on the phone. Some would say LJ may often lose a train of thought during a conversation. Some might say that this, in fact, is the negotiation tactics of a savant, perfectly baiting and positioning the opposing GM right where he wants them, before engaging and taking control of the situation. Personally, I can�t attest to this. I think he makes a lot more sense than most of the other GMs and is charming.

This question may have no answer, unless LJ is in fact reading this, and remembers to answer. Or, it has many answers, shades. Personally, I hope it stays a part of NSL mythology, alongside notions such as �the random factor that isn�t random�, �Shams and Titles were the same guy�, and that �Nels drugged Andrew prior to the Giannis deal�.


The Tailspin: The trades that broke the Mavericks� back

Just a few seasons ago, Dallas was a threat for a Western Conference Finals. Over the last two seasons, here is the run of untimely trades that watered down the Mavericks:

The Dallas Mavericks send Patrick Mills, Kristaps Porzingis and Kevon Looney to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Oklahoma City Thunder send Kemba Walker, Julius Randle and JaMychal Green to the Dallas Mavericks.

The Dallas Mavericks send a 1st-Rounder (Dal) to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Oklahoma City Thunder send a 1st-Rounder (SA) to the Dallas Mavericks.

The Dallas Mavericks send Kevin Durant to the Trailblazers, The Mavericks receive Brandon Ingram, Bobby Portis, picks.

The Dallas Mavericks send Brandon Ingram to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Minnesota Timberwolves send Myles Turner, Josh Richardson, Walker Kessler and Mark Williams to the Dallas Mavericks.

The Dallas Mavericks send Julius Randle to the LA Lakers. The LA Lakers send Kira Lewis Jr. to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The LA Lakers send Josh Green and Ousmane Dieng to the Dallas Mavericks. The Cleveland Cavaliers send a 2nd-Rounder (Cle) and 2nd-Rounder (Cle) to the Dallas Mavericks. The Cleveland Cavaliers send a 2nd-Rounder (Chi) to the LA Lakers. The Dallas Mavericks send a 1st-Rounder (Was) to the LA Lakers.

The Dallas Mavericks send Cameron Johnson and Walker Kessler to the New York Knicks. The New York Knicks send Christian Wood to the Dallas Mavericks.

The Dallas Mavericks send a 1st-Rounder (Tor) to the New York Knicks. The New York Knicks send a 2nd-Rounder (NY) and 2nd-Rounder (Cle) to the Dallas Mavericks.

Kevin Durant and Zinger turned into Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle. Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle turned into draft picks and Myles Turner. Cameron Johnson and Walker Kessler turned into Christian Wood. A cautionary tale, but also, a motivating factor for the Mavericks in the future, as they build with a broader approach.