On this episode of 'Inside The Mavs' Tim Cato of The Athletic covering the Dallas Mavericks joins Mavericks Pre/Post Host Kevin Gray to discuss the Mavs getting Klay Thompson, what really happened with the Mavs losing Derrick Jones, Jr. and what the future holds for the Mavericks & Luka Doncic and so much more!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Planning to spend a bunch of moneyin the off season, and there would
be salary cap constraints anyway. I'mjust sure we're going to spend all the
money we have in off season.That gets to the question that with new
ownership, with the Adamson and Dumontfamilies, what's your sense of their commitment
to spending what would be necessary onthe player's salary front to go where the
franchise wants to go. Yeah,I don't think money's going to be an
(00:24):
object. I think it's doing itthe right way. Bringing in people with
good character. Their money is notgoing to be the limiting factor they want
to win. We're going to besmart about it though, But I don't
expect we're not having money conversations.On today's episode of Inside the MAVs,
(00:45):
how the Mavericks were able to landClay Thompson, what it actually means,
and what the Mavericks future looks forwardto with Tim Cato of The Athletic Here
on Inside the Mas, Here wego, Welcome to Inside the mass presented
(01:27):
by Aura. I'm your host,Kevin Gray, Mavericks Prampel's Game House and
the Dallas Mavericks Radio Network appreciate youjoining us here for the latest episode of
Inside the MAVs. Make sure youdownload and subscribe to the podcast wherever you
get your podcast for free. You'rethe five star rating and write a review
for it while you're there. Ifyou're watching this on my YouTube channel like
Kevin Gray Sports, makes you likea comment on the video and subscribe to
(01:48):
the channel as well. You canfollow me on Twitter at Kevin Gray Sports.
Joining me here on the program todayhe covers the Dallas Mavericks for The
Athletic. The Only Mavericks podcast hostand good friend of mine, Tim Cato,
joining me here on the podcast him. What's going on, Kevin,
How are you doing? I'm doingwell, trying to get used to the
(02:12):
idea that we're slowing down just alittle bit as we record this. I'm
like three weeks away from vacation,so I'm like, got a hang in
there for just maybe another week anda half or two and then maybe take
a little bit of a break beforeyou know, this whole thing gets back
started a little bit later on thissummer. So trying to navigates what it
is to be in the middle ofthis whole free agency thing. How about
you. Yeah, I think so. I think so. We're trying to
(02:35):
figure out when vacation is really goingto get started. I've got at Las
Vegas Summer League coming up, som got to get through that first.
Yeah, it's gonna be a littlebit more interesting now that Bronni James is
officially part of the Los Angeles Lakers, and of course he signed his deal
to be a part with Los Angelesand Lebron James signing his deal as well.
But we're here to talk about theplayer that the Lakers couldn't get in
(03:00):
some respects in terms of of KlayThompson, because you know, for the
Mavericks, this is the kind ofplayer and you've discussed this a little bit
yourself, is this is not thekind of player traditionally that the Mavericks have
been able to secure in free agency? For you, how did this play
out and how we got here withnow Klay Thompson three year, fifty million
(03:21):
dollar deal obviously has not been madeofficial as of yet until we get to
July sixth, but at the sametime, we know he's on the way.
How did we get here with KlayThompson? As I being a member
of the Mavericks. Now, yeah, I mean it starts with It started
with Nico Harrison and just the justthe belief that Dallas had that it did
(03:42):
not have to operate its front office. It's it's basketball business. And the
same way that that it had foryou know, over a decade with you
know, under the Donnie Nelson,you know, front office led you know,
decision making, and I really thinkit led. You know. The
other big part is is Kyrie Irvingand you know I've referenced him. You
(04:06):
know, even even now, evennow, Kyrie Irving playing in Dallas feels
like someone pulling out an iPhone ina nineteen forty silent movie. There is
something anachronistic about this glamour playing aglamour player playing in this decidedly not glamour
market. And now it's all ledto this moment where a you know,
(04:30):
a star in objectively, Klay Thompsonis a star. He is not the
player he used to be. Youknow, maybe he is not a star
player, but he is a starin the basketball world. And he looked
at these two options of the DallasMavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers, the
most glamour market to exist to everexist within the context of the NBA.
(04:51):
And he chose Dallas, and hepreferred Dallas. It was his choice.
It was something that he felt morecomfortable about. There's been reporting about,
you know, Kyrie's influence and roleand having that happen. There's been reporting
and understanding about Klay Thompson just youknow, not loving his experience in Golden
State, another market that does haveyou know, the the spotlight, the
(05:15):
sometimes very harsh spotlight of negativity oror you know, a just a focus
on you know, a player whois is not performing at his peak or
who is not who he once was, and in coming to Dallas, it's
it's very different. It is objectivelygoing to be a very different scenario and
situation for him, and he chosethat he wanted that, and it's just
(05:39):
it's a it's a testament to howdifferent and how much this franchise has changed
under new leadership. And it's justsomething that would not have been imaginable quite
literally, with with all of theDallas free agency targets and misses over you
know, the decade that followed thepost championship team just something completely unimaginable to
(06:01):
what this franchise used to represent,uh, but something that really marks something
special about what this franchise is now. I want to read a quote from
your colleague Sam Ammick of The Athleticbecause it struck me because of the way
that he framed it and how theMavericks raibled in some ways to get this
done. He said, quote,The Mavericks in turred did just that they
met him where he was both figurativelyand literally, respecting his fore wings and
(06:25):
making it clear that he was theirtop priority this off season. Of the
off season excuse me in quote.And I found out to be interesting because
you talked about the star name thatKlay Thompson is, but at this stage
of his career at thirty four,while still in a very effective three point
shooter, some of the reporting thatsyou had mentioned, you know, he
felt disrespected in Golden State and theway that things have gone down the last
(06:46):
couple of years, even just acouple of weeks ago, we've seen reporting
that he was offered a two yeardeal at twenty million dollars per year,
but the gap was just too muchand the relationship was just not recoverable at
that point. But the map brisfelt like they could meet that need based
off of what they felt like Claycould bring to this team. How do
you believe that they were able toachieve that based off of where he is
(07:08):
in his career and what the Mavericksneed him to do, based off of
what they need for him. Yeah, I mean, it's it's a it's
it's what all that reporting has said. You know, it's it's it's what
the quote said. You know,I think I think that's exactly it.
You know, they they met himwhere he was, they understood, uh,
where he was in his career.They understood that Dallas is a place
that can can be more of afamily and be more of a place that
(07:30):
is comforting and and it is aplace where you can, you know,
focus on basketball and there's not goingto be as much of the you know,
of the nonsense, the conversations,you know, the off the court
scrutiny and examination even to an extentbeyond the court scrutiny that of course that's
going to come with uh stuff,you know, of course that's going to
(07:51):
come with it. But a lotof that is is something that that Luca
and and then Kyrie will will shoulderand this is just a place where I
think Klay Thompson would be able tocome and play basketball, and it's a
place where, you know, ateam just coming off the Finals needs somebody
to like him, need someone withthe skill set, and so I think
(08:13):
I think that's that's what Dallas representedto him. And you know, the
people leading the Mavericks, the newregime, the those in charge, were
the right people to convey that messageto Clay and to convince him of how
different, how much change has happenedto this franchise and to the point where
(08:33):
he could be a real focal pointon this team. And it's interesting because
this player really did his homework onthis team prior to making his decision,
and part of the discussion that Ifeel like, you know that we have
to have based on him, youknow, deciding to join the maverickses a
lot of this. I feel liketim isn't possible unless the Mavericks make the
run to the finals that they doand being able to be on that stage
(08:56):
where he gets to look at andexamine, you know, what I can
help this team in this specific area. And it's now to the point where
he felt like this was the bestbasketball decision, even from all the things
that the Lakers could provide, whetherit be more money, or playing with
Lebron James, his father calling hisgames on the radio, all of those
things, but he felt like thebasketball fit was better for him here.
(09:18):
And I think that's a major partthat has to be discussed because of where
the Mavericks are going based on whatthey have on this roster. Now,
yeah, I think I think there'ssome proof to concept there, or proof
of concept. I think that objectively, if Luca just continued playing, let's
say, in the in the Thunderseries, in the in the semi finals,
if Luca continued playing like he hadin Game one, he was just
(09:39):
hurt, he was unable to behimself and they lose that series. Objectively,
Dallas is still in a better placethan the Lakers, but being able
to show that over you know,three more two more series to be the
finalists, to come out of theWestern Conference, even with the finals not
being that competitive, I do thinkthat. Uh yeah, Like I said,
(10:01):
it's it's a proof of concept andit matters even if objectively things had
gone differently, I still think thatwould have been the case. But yeah,
when you're when you're playing on thatstage. Everything that is working,
that is positive, that is optimistic, is showcased in a in a in
a really special way, and Ido think Dallas was able to do that.
(10:24):
Before we take a quick break herefrom your standpoint, what are the
Mavericks getting in Klay Thompson at thirtyfour years old, four time NBA champion,
former, you know, all defensiveplayer. What are they getting exactly
from Klay Thompson going into the stageof his career Now in your mind,
you know, the best spot up, catch and shoot jump shooter in the
league period, He's still he stillis that player. There is nobody better.
(10:50):
You know, he is not thebest three point shooter, but he
is the best three point finisher.He is the best three point you know
player, spot up guy, heis. He is the best in the
league. And I think he willeasily retain that title next season. And
(11:11):
that's exactly what this team needs.It's it's what they did not have last
season. And it makes a lotof sense that that's who they went out
and got. And yeah, thereare some quibbles about how everything else is
going to fit. There's curiosities abouthow the offense, whether it shifts a
little bit more into movement and motionto you know, to to use these
(11:35):
skill sets, to use this dangerthat you know Clay invokes upon opposing defenses.
There's some questions about his his defenseand and just whether Dallas is going
to take a step back about youknow, how they can navigate, you
know, having three players who arenot you know, all through players one
through three, obviously replacing thirty minutesof Derek Jones Junior with with their events
(12:00):
of Klay Thompson. It's going tobe a downgrade defensively, but I think
it's I think it's very clear tome that you know, this is quite
possibly going to be the you know, best offense in the league. And
and I don't think there's any doubtabout that. So I'm definitely looking at
this move with you know, withmeasure, but certainly with optimism. More
(12:24):
with Tim Cato of the Athletic onthe mass free agencies so far and what
it means for them going forward.But before we get there, let's hear
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Please see the link in the descriptionback here on Inside the Maps and thank
you to today's sponsor of our videoon our podcast in Aura with Tim Cato
of The Athletic talking all things Mavericksas of course their big free agents acquisition
(14:16):
in Klay Thompson and assign and tradewith the Golden State Warriors as that deal
will become official later on this week. And you know, we started to
touch on a little bit Tien whenit came to just how the Mavericks were
able to meet Clay where he wasand be able to really help him understand
what he could do for this team. And part of this discussion too,
is is the fact that you mentioneda little bit earlier Kyrie Irving. Of
(14:37):
course they're part of the same shoecompany together. His ability to be able
to connect with players, he's wellrespected around the league, but he also
being able to be a part ofthis discussion as well. What has he
meant not just to obviously this team, but moving forward, how he continues
to influence how this roster is ableto get betforward, even with Nico Harrison
(14:58):
and Jason Kinn in this front officecoaching staff, being able to have a
vision for Klay Thompson. What's beenwritten about Klay Thompson and what's been described
about how much, you know,they're just the joy. He didn't have
less season playing in the Warriors.It's it's a lot different than than Kyrie,
to be clear. You know,Clay Clay was in a situation where
it was an inevitable he was goingto be compared to the player he once
(15:18):
was, a player he no longeris, and just being able to quiet
that noise and be the player heis now without those shadows and echoes and
uh, you know, haunting memoriesof of a of a past player following
him around you know, Golden State, the Bay Area. I think that's
(15:41):
good for him obviously, Clay Kyrie, you know, his his situation,
his public image is something that hebrought upon, uh, you know,
himself in a lot of ways.But obviously if if if Clay feels that
way, and you know, Kyriewas someone who spoke to him about this
process, and you know, who'swhat what better example is there of a
(16:02):
player who was able to come toDallas to get away from that noise.
Again not not absolving Kyrie for beinghaving some responsibility and that and to really
have a renaissance when it comes tohis public image and who he is as
a as a basketball player. Uh, There's there's no question that that Kyrie
is a great example of that.And and and affected you know, or
(16:25):
eased Clay's uh, you know,made it easier for Clay to make this
decision. And and yeah, youknow, I think Kyrie is is you
know, a great representation for anybodywho wants to to come here, that
you know, of of what thisteam is, of what this team is
able to be. Uh. Forfor Dallas to get this version of of
Kyrie also speaks to Dallas and thesituation in Dallas that Kyrie has very famously
(16:49):
beefed and feuded with past front officesand organizations that he's that he's been with.
Absolutely it's up to Kyrie that thatyou know, he embraced this opportunity
in Dallas with open arms, butat the same time as it was a
situation willing to embrace him right back. And I think that's important and it
speaks to where Dallas is as afranchise right now, and it's definitely something
(17:11):
that matters and is very noticed byplayers around the league. Yeah, his
influence continues to be widespread within thisorganization, as it already is throughout the
across the league. It's interesting becauseI want to get your take on this
because I feel like, in learningand reading some of the reporting about how
this all came to be for KlayThompson, that at thirty four years old,
he feels like a player that's defiantlytrying to shed what has been kind
(17:34):
of the reputation for him over thelast couple of years. Is that folks
on the outside, I think thathe's a washed player and that some of
the things that he has shown oris incapabilities are things that are now just
a part of what he is asa player. And the motivation, it
feels like, is there clearly forthis player to prove all of that wrong.
Do you get that sense from whatyou've learned about him over the last
(17:56):
you know, several days in termsof this, how this has all calmed
down for him to be part ofthis team in that way. Yeah,
this sounds right to me, youknow, base based off what I've read
as well my my my co hoston on the Only Mavericks podcast, Austin
Kuria. He talked about how Clayis someone who as we've watched him over
the years, he is clearly someonewho plays with joy and that's important to
(18:18):
him being being his best self andhe hasn't had that. He certainly didn't
have that last season in Golden State, you know, maybe hasn't had that
for a couple of years. AndI think in I think in Dallas,
this is his chance to get backto what he loves about playing basketball,
just like we've seen Luca go throughthat cycle and Kyrie go through that cycle.
I think I think that's important tohim. I think it's important to
(18:41):
how successful he's going to be herein Dallas. But I think it's something
that's very obtainable for him in thismarket, within this team, in this
organization. I think it's something thatwe're going to see and Clay joins a
team that has gone through changes alreadyprior to him getting here. Tim Hardwag
now a member of the Detroit Pissonsin exchange for Quinton Grimes. Naji Marshall
(19:03):
here on a three year, twentyseven million dollar deal. I want to
start with Marshall because how he cameto be based off of the Dereck Jones
Junior situation has been something from Mavericksfans to kind of continue to wrap their
minds around, you know, fromyour reporting. You know, he had
described that the Mavericks had offered thesame three year, twenty seven million dollar
deal to Derek Jones Junior, butat the same time it was it wasn't
(19:26):
able to work out, and NajiMarshall, who's an up and coming player
at twenty six years old, nowgets that opportunity, you know, with
this Mavericks team. From your understanding, how did we get here with Derek
Jones Junior, that was you know, reporting about, you know, from
you in terms of his agency andswitch there what happened with that to where
he's now a member the lost againssClippers in that way. So here's a
(19:48):
tiny little todbit that I have notactually said out loud. Anywhere. You
know, I had heard Naji Marshallalso Isaacacorro as potential of Jones replacements as
early as the Thunder series. Andlook, that's how front offices operate,
They're always operating with continguously plans.I had also heard in that same breath
that at the time Dallas did notexpect to retain Derek Jones. At the
(20:14):
time, it ran contrary to whatI was hearing, and I quite frankly
didn't believe it, and I'm stillnot sure it was true, because you
know, when the finals ended inthe in the week that followed, my
understanding was that Derek Jones was likeliestto return to the team, and some
you know that that really dramatically changedwhen he changed representation and he decided to
(20:37):
go to Clutch to sign with Clutch, And there is a you know,
this is legal stuff. There isa fifteen day waiting period. You know,
before you can leave an agency,you have to you know, state
dictate that you are leaving it.And that waiting period, unless it's waived,
you know, is supposed to remainin place. And you know,
(21:02):
I guess either you know, whetherit's a workaround, whether it didn't happen.
Whether there's there's other stuff going onbehind the scenes, Like clearly he
signed with the Clippers. But Iyou know, what I reported on the
on June thirtieth, you know,kind of the afternoon leading into free agency,
was just my understanding that the agencychange had made a big impact on
(21:22):
Dallas's ability or willingness you know,some to some degree. I just knew
it had affected Dallas's expected ability oror you know, the likelihood that Dallas
was going to resign him that thatdoubt was creeping into that whole process,
that something that seemed like like aninety five percent lock had had suddenly fallen
(21:45):
into something much lower than that.And yeah, that that same three for
twenty seven deal that they had onthe table for for Jones, that that
clearly he had, you know,not you know, he had not accepted
it clearly, but you know,it did seem like he was going to
all of a sudden that changed andhe went to the Clippers. And I
(22:08):
don't understand exactly every aspect of howthat happened, but I do know the
agency change affected things. And Ido know that, you know, Nagie
Marshall was somebody that they had longseen and scouted and looked into as a
as a as a contingency plan,as someone that who they who they liked,
and they just turned around and offeredthat deal to him. And that's
(22:32):
how Naji Marshall is a maverick andI am. You know, I think
we'll find out. I don't thinkthere's any way, you know, I
don't think the best analyst in theworld can tell you for sure right now
which player is going to be moreimportant, whether it's going to be a
small upgrade or small downgrade. Infact, I think it's going to be,
you know, close enough. Ithink the two players and their productions
(22:56):
are going to be close enough toeach other that, you know, there's
no way to really know for sure, you know, I think they're in
a lot of ways. There's alot of one to one replicated abilities between
the two players. But that's someof what I understand about how this whole
little swap happened. And the restis something that certainly I'm interested in learning
(23:21):
more about and may be able tohere in the next few weeks. Yeah,
Derrick Jones Jr. Now a memberof the Clippers that three year,
thirty million dollar deal. They hadsome money open up because Paul George decided
to take his talents to Philadelphia toteam up with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxi.
And now for this Mavericks team,based off of what they have here
we talked about with Naji Marshall,also Quinton Grimes as well, we're looking
(23:44):
at, you know, an eightnine man rotation right now that looks pretty
good on paper. Based off ofwhat they have here, how would you
assess what the Mavericks have been ableto do? In essence turning Tim Harnaway
Junior, Derrick Jones Junior, andJosh Green into Clay Tome Sin, Naji
Marshall and Quinton Grimes, you sacrificea couple of second round picks to move
on to get Klay Thompson. Butat the same time, how would you
(24:07):
assess with this team is now afterwhat they finished a season with ending in
the NBA Finals against Boston. Ithink every player who was a inconsistent,
spotty, questionable shooter has been replacedby somebody who is more prolific in taking
those threes. I think there's QuentinGrimes is the most interesting player to me,
(24:29):
And we'll see. You know,I don't think it should be assumed
that that he's just going to allof a sudden be this player he was
his second year in New York.But I think there's a whole lot of
optimism that he could be that player, and a whole lot of excitement if
he is able to be that playerand what it would represent to Dallas.
But this is a team that wasunable to reliably hit up hit spot up
shots created by Luca and Kyrie,and that made it really difficult on Luca
(24:53):
and Kyrie. And we saw thatmost specifically in the NBA Finals, and
it's this completely different now. Youknow, they have completely bolstered and strengthened
that area of the team and inmy view, a really impressive way,
and they've taken a step back defensivelyto do that. I don't think there's
(25:14):
any doubt about that they're not goingto be as good of a defensive team,
but they're also you know, downthe stretch of the regular season,
they were the best defense in theNBA, and trying to thread that needle
and find a balance between a defensethat led them to the NBA Finals and
an offense that failed them once theygot there is what they needed to do
(25:37):
this this offseason, and I thinkthey've done a and moirable job trying to
solve that. And you know,from my view, before this team has
played a game, I think thatthey've you know, certainly solved it in
some areas. It will take theregular season, in which I expect them
to be very good, to reallylearn exactly how well they potentially solve that
(26:00):
issue and whether maybe you know,at the trade deadline they're looking to make
more moves or looking to you know, shuffle the team around just a little
bit more in a small way.But the continuity, the core of this
team remains intact in a way thatI think they they should have done and
they did succeed in doing. AndI think they're in a great position to
(26:22):
go into next season, no matterwhat other moves teams have made, no
matter how good Oklahoma City looks,this should be a team going into next
season expecting or believing that they canbe at the top of the Western Conference
when this season ends. And theywon fifty games last year, a team
that was able to finish in thetop five in the West. The West
(26:44):
continues to get strong, as we'veseen so far during this offseason. And
I want to ask you this aboutClay because you know, folks will have
questions about, you know, withClay, the idea was he wasn't you
know, keen on the idea ofcoming off the bench again in Golden State.
Obviously, Brandon Pajemski had a reallynice rookie year and was starting to
really start himself there as a starterpotentially going forward for the Golden State Warriors.
(27:06):
How a comfortable are you with Clayas a starter with this team,
given what he is and what they'reasking him to do, and how that
affects how the Mavers want to getafter teams not after night. Well,
if you like the Clay move,then he's going to be a starter.
That was part of signing him,and so you know that has to be
baked into this. I do thinka lot of what's going to make this
(27:27):
move succeed more or succeed less,because I do think it will be a
you know, I do think it'sa good move. I do think that
it will work well at least forthis season. It's going to be whether
he is you know, the JasonKidd and his coaching staff and all the
people around this organization can can makesure he understands that, yeah, there
(27:48):
may be times where it doesn't makesense for him to close games, that
he is going to be on avery staggered minute rotation, that sometimes maybe
it does make sense for him toonly play twenty to twenty five a night.
You know, he averages shade underthirty minutes last season for Golden State.
I expect his minute totals to be, you know, some something near
that. But maybe it's only twentyseven or twenty eight minutes per game.
(28:10):
And if that's what the right movefor the team is, then it's important
to make sure that Clay agrees andClay kind of you know, is able
to you know, embrace this opportunityfor what it is, even if it's
not quite the same as it oncewas. But look, he's going to
be a starter. That that wasthat was baked into the entire pursuit of
him. And yes, it posessome questions. I don't think Clay is
(28:36):
a completely washed, cooked, youknow, done, you know, terrible
defender. I do think that,like a lot of players on this team,
he is better off guarding threes andfours and there are not a lot
of players on this team ideally suitedto guard ones and twos. That is
something that a very good defensive schemewith defensive help behind you like Dallas has
(29:00):
can mitigate to an extent. Butcertainly I think Derek Jones's ability to you
know, guard a Paul George aswell as he can guard a Tyrese Maxi
or a Jamal Murray or a ShayGildess Alexander, I think that is something
that that's going to be missed alittle bit next season. But Dallas is
a good team that has a lotof uh, you know, defensive talent,
(29:23):
and it's going to be up tothe coaching staff to figure that out
to make it all work. AndI think after last season, seeing what
they were able to do after thedeadline, you should believe in them being
able to figure that out last weekbefore we get you out of here today,
Obviously, everything centers around Luka Dancicand his abilities to continue to drive
(29:44):
this team. Of course, makehis first NBA Finals appearance, was a
top three MVP candidate this year,and he's right now trying to help Slovenia
qualify for the Olympics. There's beena lot of criticism of the player for
the fact that he's still continued todeal with injury and playing in this tournament.
But you and I know, andand a lot of people know he's
going to play if he's hurt ornot. He's going to play with seems
Slovenia for you what he's going throughand trying to help Slovenia do, but
(30:10):
more importantly for his team going intonext year. Where do you feel like
he is after all of this,the amount of basketball he's played really for
the last couple of years now,and what that means for his health going
forward, and how the matters willtry to help him approach that going into
this upcoming season with all the anticipationnow, with this roster the way it
is, based on how it's beenbuilt. I mean, I just I
(30:32):
don't have a great answer, youknow, I don't know exactly which injury,
what it is, and what's affectinghim most. This is something that
he has been behind the scenes,very very sure and very you know,
(30:52):
he's just very certain. He doesn'twant to talk about it. He's very
stubborn, you know, maybe maybethat's the word that this is. He
he does not want the details ofhis injuries. You know, if his
if his injury stuff out there,he does not want it to be used
as an excuse, and that's kindof just comes baked into his personality.
(31:12):
And that said, he's he's clearlyyou know, not been one hundred percent,
and I don't I don't have ananswer of like what's going to fix
it? You know, he saidduring the postseason that it's you know,
it's not going to be until thesummer that he's able to rest, that
it that it heals, and that'syou know, even even behind the scenes
(31:33):
and conversations I have, that's youknow, I don't get much more of
an answer than that. And sothe hope is just that whenever the season
ends, and if he is inhibitedand if he is not one hundred percent
himself, you know, these thingsare kind of playing into each other that
you know, if if if he'snot able to be Luka Doncic, then
Slovenia probably isn't gonna you know,much of a contender. I haven't been
(31:56):
following that closely, to be honest, a little bit of a break from
basketball, So I don't I don'tknow exactly where his qualifications stand. You
know, but but I've seen thediscourse and I've seen you know, enough
of uh, you know, clipsenough to know that he still kind of
looks like the plotting, not quiteone hundred percent version of himself. And
I guess the question is, yeah, just when a season ends and how
(32:20):
he looks coming into uh, youknow this, this this next season that's
going to start not so long fromnow, you know, training camps at
the end of September. Obviously,he's going to be given some time even
you know, even into the startof the regular season to you know,
if if he were to need it, he would absolutely absolutely be given that
time. Dallas understands that they're youknow, they're now playing on a you
(32:43):
know, they're now they now gointo regular seasons with a one hundred game
schedule in mind, not an eightytwo game one And so it wouldn't shock
me at all if if, ifLuke of really needs that time to begin
the season, it wouldn't surprise me. This is I'm not reporting this.
I not been told this, butI do think it's very clear that Dallas
is going to do what it needsto do to make sure this is a
(33:07):
healthy player who can play into Mayand June if necessary, and do everything
they can to try to get himto that point. They have an understanding
of who Luca is, and Luca, I think understands that as well.
But how that all plays out justdepends on what happens and depends on what
his injuries are and depends on howthey heal whenever he finally sets down a
(33:30):
basketball for a few weeks. Andyou know, obviously, I think we
all want him to get back tothat one hundred percent version of himself because
that's the that's the player we enjoywatching. And I'm sure one way or
the other, you know, we'rewe're going to be able to get back
to that. So I'm not tooworried about him. I just don't know
exactly what the process of him gettinghealthy is going to look like. Yeah,
(33:52):
the members have put themselves in aposition where they're gonna be playing a
lot of deep playoff games based offof what we believe that this team is
going to be all for the nextseveral years with Luka donc is leading the
way. Of course, Tim tellthe folks so they can find you what
we can look forward to you fromme a little bit This summer here.
I think everybody knows Twitter, Podcast, The Athletic, all those places,
(34:13):
and I don't know trying to figureout right now. You know, there's
some stuff I'm going to be workingon in summer leak and then we'll figure
out what's to come after that,So stay tuned. Well, it should
be an a continuation of an excitingsummer for this Maverick squad based off of
what they've already done in free agencyand the anticipation for what's to come coming
into this next season. Tim isalways on, man, I appreciate you,
(34:36):
thank you so much for joining mehere on the show. I know
you're looking forward to a little bitof a break once this all settles down,
to be able to rest and recovera little bit, but I appreciate
you hanging out with me on theshow today, man. Thank you,
Yeah, for sure. Happy todo it. Man. That'll do it
for this episode of Inside the MapsAgain, Thank it to Tim Cato the
Athletic for joining me here on thisepisode. Makes you a download and subscribe
to the podcast wherever you get yourpodcasts or free give it a five star
(34:59):
rating and write a review for itwhile you're there, Like a comment and
subscribe to Kevin Gray Sports here onYouTube and follow me there as well.
Of course, your Mavericks Pampels gamesonly Dallas Mavericks Radio Network. This has
been Inside the Mass presented by Aura
Planning to spend a bunch of moneyin the off season, and there would
be salary cap constraints anyway. I'mjust sure we're going to spend all the
money we have in off season.That gets to the question that with new
ownership, with the Adamson and Dumontfamilies, what's your sense of their commitment
to spending what would be necessary onthe player's salary front to go where the
franchise wants to go. Yeah,I don't think money's going to be an
(00:24):
object. I think it's doing itthe right way. Bringing in people with
good character. Their money is notgoing to be the limiting factor they want
to win. We're going to besmart about it though, But I don't
expect we're not having money conversations.On today's episode of Inside the MAVs,
(00:45):
how the Mavericks were able to landClay Thompson, what it actually means,
and what the Mavericks future looks forwardto with Tim Cato of The Athletic Here
on Inside the Mas, Here wego, Welcome to Inside the mass presented
(01:27):
by Aura. I'm your host,Kevin Gray, Mavericks Prampel's Game House and
the Dallas Mavericks Radio Network appreciate youjoining us here for the latest episode of
Inside the MAVs. Make sure youdownload and subscribe to the podcast wherever you
get your podcast for free. You'rethe five star rating and write a review
for it while you're there. Ifyou're watching this on my YouTube channel like
Kevin Gray Sports, makes you likea comment on the video and subscribe to
(01:48):
the channel as well. You canfollow me on Twitter at Kevin Gray Sports.
Joining me here on the program todayhe covers the Dallas Mavericks for The
Athletic. The Only Mavericks podcast hostand good friend of mine, Tim Cato,
joining me here on the podcast him. What's going on, Kevin,
How are you doing? I'm doingwell, trying to get used to the
(02:12):
idea that we're slowing down just alittle bit as we record this. I'm
like three weeks away from vacation,so I'm like, got a hang in
there for just maybe another week anda half or two and then maybe take
a little bit of a break beforeyou know, this whole thing gets back
started a little bit later on thissummer. So trying to navigates what it
is to be in the middle ofthis whole free agency thing. How about
you. Yeah, I think so. I think so. We're trying to
(02:35):
figure out when vacation is really goingto get started. I've got at Las
Vegas Summer League coming up, som got to get through that first.
Yeah, it's gonna be a littlebit more interesting now that Bronni James is
officially part of the Los Angeles Lakers, and of course he signed his deal
to be a part with Los Angelesand Lebron James signing his deal as well.
But we're here to talk about theplayer that the Lakers couldn't get in
(03:00):
some respects in terms of of KlayThompson, because you know, for the
Mavericks, this is the kind ofplayer and you've discussed this a little bit
yourself, is this is not thekind of player traditionally that the Mavericks have
been able to secure in free agency? For you, how did this play
out and how we got here withnow Klay Thompson three year, fifty million
(03:21):
dollar deal obviously has not been madeofficial as of yet until we get to
July sixth, but at the sametime, we know he's on the way.
How did we get here with KlayThompson? As I being a member
of the Mavericks. Now, yeah, I mean it starts with It started
with Nico Harrison and just the justthe belief that Dallas had that it did
(03:42):
not have to operate its front office. It's it's basketball business. And the
same way that that it had foryou know, over a decade with you
know, under the Donnie Nelson,you know, front office led you know,
decision making, and I really thinkit led. You know. The
other big part is is Kyrie Irvingand you know I've referenced him. You
(04:06):
know, even even now, evennow, Kyrie Irving playing in Dallas feels
like someone pulling out an iPhone ina nineteen forty silent movie. There is
something anachronistic about this glamour playing aglamour player playing in this decidedly not glamour
market. And now it's all ledto this moment where a you know,
(04:30):
a star in objectively, Klay Thompsonis a star. He is not the
player he used to be. Youknow, maybe he is not a star
player, but he is a starin the basketball world. And he looked
at these two options of the DallasMavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers, the
most glamour market to exist to everexist within the context of the NBA.
(04:51):
And he chose Dallas, and hepreferred Dallas. It was his choice.
It was something that he felt morecomfortable about. There's been reporting about,
you know, Kyrie's influence and roleand having that happen. There's been reporting
and understanding about Klay Thompson just youknow, not loving his experience in Golden
State, another market that does haveyou know, the the spotlight, the
(05:15):
sometimes very harsh spotlight of negativity oror you know, a just a focus
on you know, a player whois is not performing at his peak or
who is not who he once was, and in coming to Dallas, it's
it's very different. It is objectivelygoing to be a very different scenario and
situation for him, and he chosethat he wanted that, and it's just
(05:39):
it's a it's a testament to howdifferent and how much this franchise has changed
under new leadership. And it's justsomething that would not have been imaginable quite
literally, with with all of theDallas free agency targets and misses over you
know, the decade that followed thepost championship team just something completely unimaginable to
(06:01):
what this franchise used to represent,uh, but something that really marks something
special about what this franchise is now. I want to read a quote from
your colleague Sam Ammick of The Athleticbecause it struck me because of the way
that he framed it and how theMavericks raibled in some ways to get this
done. He said, quote,The Mavericks in turred did just that they
met him where he was both figurativelyand literally, respecting his fore wings and
(06:25):
making it clear that he was theirtop priority this off season. Of the
off season excuse me in quote.And I found out to be interesting because
you talked about the star name thatKlay Thompson is, but at this stage
of his career at thirty four,while still in a very effective three point
shooter, some of the reporting thatsyou had mentioned, you know, he
felt disrespected in Golden State and theway that things have gone down the last
(06:46):
couple of years, even just acouple of weeks ago, we've seen reporting
that he was offered a two yeardeal at twenty million dollars per year,
but the gap was just too muchand the relationship was just not recoverable at
that point. But the map brisfelt like they could meet that need based
off of what they felt like Claycould bring to this team. How do
you believe that they were able toachieve that based off of where he is
(07:08):
in his career and what the Mavericksneed him to do, based off of
what they need for him. Yeah, I mean, it's it's a it's
it's what all that reporting has said. You know, it's it's it's what
the quote said. You know,I think I think that's exactly it.
You know, they they met himwhere he was, they understood, uh,
where he was in his career.They understood that Dallas is a place
that can can be more of afamily and be more of a place that
(07:30):
is comforting and and it is aplace where you can, you know,
focus on basketball and there's not goingto be as much of the you know,
of the nonsense, the conversations,you know, the off the court
scrutiny and examination even to an extentbeyond the court scrutiny that of course that's
going to come with uh stuff,you know, of course that's going to
(07:51):
come with it. But a lotof that is is something that that Luca
and and then Kyrie will will shoulderand this is just a place where I
think Klay Thompson would be able tocome and play basketball, and it's a
place where, you know, ateam just coming off the Finals needs somebody
to like him, need someone withthe skill set, and so I think
(08:13):
I think that's that's what Dallas representedto him. And you know, the
people leading the Mavericks, the newregime, the those in charge, were
the right people to convey that messageto Clay and to convince him of how
different, how much change has happenedto this franchise and to the point where
(08:33):
he could be a real focal pointon this team. And it's interesting because
this player really did his homework onthis team prior to making his decision,
and part of the discussion that Ifeel like, you know that we have
to have based on him, youknow, deciding to join the maverickses a
lot of this. I feel liketim isn't possible unless the Mavericks make the
run to the finals that they doand being able to be on that stage
(08:56):
where he gets to look at andexamine, you know, what I can
help this team in this specific area. And it's now to the point where
he felt like this was the bestbasketball decision, even from all the things
that the Lakers could provide, whetherit be more money, or playing with
Lebron James, his father calling hisgames on the radio, all of those
things, but he felt like thebasketball fit was better for him here.
(09:18):
And I think that's a major partthat has to be discussed because of where
the Mavericks are going based on whatthey have on this roster. Now,
yeah, I think I think there'ssome proof to concept there, or proof
of concept. I think that objectively, if Luca just continued playing, let's
say, in the in the Thunderseries, in the in the semi finals,
if Luca continued playing like he hadin Game one, he was just
(09:39):
hurt, he was unable to behimself and they lose that series. Objectively,
Dallas is still in a better placethan the Lakers, but being able
to show that over you know,three more two more series to be the
finalists, to come out of theWestern Conference, even with the finals not
being that competitive, I do thinkthat. Uh yeah, Like I said,
(10:01):
it's it's a proof of concept andit matters even if objectively things had
gone differently, I still think thatwould have been the case. But yeah,
when you're when you're playing on thatstage. Everything that is working,
that is positive, that is optimistic, is showcased in a in a in
a really special way, and Ido think Dallas was able to do that.
(10:24):
Before we take a quick break herefrom your standpoint, what are the
Mavericks getting in Klay Thompson at thirtyfour years old, four time NBA champion,
former, you know, all defensiveplayer. What are they getting exactly
from Klay Thompson going into the stageof his career Now in your mind,
you know, the best spot up, catch and shoot jump shooter in the
league period, He's still he stillis that player. There is nobody better.
(10:50):
You know, he is not thebest three point shooter, but he
is the best three point finisher.He is the best three point you know
player, spot up guy, heis. He is the best in the
league. And I think he willeasily retain that title next season. And
(11:11):
that's exactly what this team needs.It's it's what they did not have last
season. And it makes a lotof sense that that's who they went out
and got. And yeah, thereare some quibbles about how everything else is
going to fit. There's curiosities abouthow the offense, whether it shifts a
little bit more into movement and motionto you know, to to use these
(11:35):
skill sets, to use this dangerthat you know Clay invokes upon opposing defenses.
There's some questions about his his defenseand and just whether Dallas is going
to take a step back about youknow, how they can navigate, you
know, having three players who arenot you know, all through players one
through three, obviously replacing thirty minutesof Derek Jones Junior with with their events
(12:00):
of Klay Thompson. It's going tobe a downgrade defensively, but I think
it's I think it's very clear tome that you know, this is quite
possibly going to be the you know, best offense in the league. And
and I don't think there's any doubtabout that. So I'm definitely looking at
this move with you know, withmeasure, but certainly with optimism. More
(12:24):
with Tim Cato of the Athletic onthe mass free agencies so far and what
it means for them going forward.But before we get there, let's hear
from today's sponsor of our video onour podcast, Let's Hear from Aura.
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Please see the link in the descriptionback here on Inside the Maps and thank
you to today's sponsor of our videoon our podcast in Aura with Tim Cato
of The Athletic talking all things Mavericksas of course their big free agents acquisition
(14:16):
in Klay Thompson and assign and tradewith the Golden State Warriors as that deal
will become official later on this week. And you know, we started to
touch on a little bit Tien whenit came to just how the Mavericks were
able to meet Clay where he wasand be able to really help him understand
what he could do for this team. And part of this discussion too,
is is the fact that you mentioneda little bit earlier Kyrie Irving. Of
(14:37):
course they're part of the same shoecompany together. His ability to be able
to connect with players, he's wellrespected around the league, but he also
being able to be a part ofthis discussion as well. What has he
meant not just to obviously this team, but moving forward, how he continues
to influence how this roster is ableto get betforward, even with Nico Harrison
(14:58):
and Jason Kinn in this front officecoaching staff, being able to have a
vision for Klay Thompson. What's beenwritten about Klay Thompson and what's been described
about how much, you know,they're just the joy. He didn't have
less season playing in the Warriors.It's it's a lot different than than Kyrie,
to be clear. You know,Clay Clay was in a situation where
it was an inevitable he was goingto be compared to the player he once
(15:18):
was, a player he no longeris, and just being able to quiet
that noise and be the player heis now without those shadows and echoes and
uh, you know, haunting memoriesof of a of a past player following
him around you know, Golden State, the Bay Area. I think that's
(15:41):
good for him obviously, Clay Kyrie, you know, his his situation,
his public image is something that hebrought upon, uh, you know,
himself in a lot of ways.But obviously if if if Clay feels that
way, and you know, Kyriewas someone who spoke to him about this
process, and you know, who'swhat what better example is there of a
(16:02):
player who was able to come toDallas to get away from that noise.
Again not not absolving Kyrie for beinghaving some responsibility and that and to really
have a renaissance when it comes tohis public image and who he is as
a as a basketball player. Uh, There's there's no question that that Kyrie
is a great example of that.And and and affected you know, or
(16:25):
eased Clay's uh, you know,made it easier for Clay to make this
decision. And and yeah, youknow, I think Kyrie is is you
know, a great representation for anybodywho wants to to come here, that
you know, of of what thisteam is, of what this team is
able to be. Uh. Forfor Dallas to get this version of of
Kyrie also speaks to Dallas and thesituation in Dallas that Kyrie has very famously
(16:49):
beefed and feuded with past front officesand organizations that he's that he's been with.
Absolutely it's up to Kyrie that thatyou know, he embraced this opportunity
in Dallas with open arms, butat the same time as it was a
situation willing to embrace him right back. And I think that's important and it
speaks to where Dallas is as afranchise right now, and it's definitely something
(17:11):
that matters and is very noticed byplayers around the league. Yeah, his
influence continues to be widespread within thisorganization, as it already is throughout the
across the league. It's interesting becauseI want to get your take on this
because I feel like, in learningand reading some of the reporting about how
this all came to be for KlayThompson, that at thirty four years old,
he feels like a player that's defiantlytrying to shed what has been kind
(17:34):
of the reputation for him over thelast couple of years. Is that folks
on the outside, I think thathe's a washed player and that some of
the things that he has shown oris incapabilities are things that are now just
a part of what he is asa player. And the motivation, it
feels like, is there clearly forthis player to prove all of that wrong.
Do you get that sense from whatyou've learned about him over the last
(17:56):
you know, several days in termsof this, how this has all calmed
down for him to be part ofthis team in that way. Yeah,
this sounds right to me, youknow, base based off what I've read
as well my my my co hoston on the Only Mavericks podcast, Austin
Kuria. He talked about how Clayis someone who as we've watched him over
the years, he is clearly someonewho plays with joy and that's important to
(18:18):
him being being his best self andhe hasn't had that. He certainly didn't
have that last season in Golden State, you know, maybe hasn't had that
for a couple of years. AndI think in I think in Dallas,
this is his chance to get backto what he loves about playing basketball,
just like we've seen Luca go throughthat cycle and Kyrie go through that cycle.
I think I think that's important tohim. I think it's important to
(18:41):
how successful he's going to be herein Dallas. But I think it's something
that's very obtainable for him in thismarket, within this team, in this
organization. I think it's something thatwe're going to see and Clay joins a
team that has gone through changes alreadyprior to him getting here. Tim Hardwag
now a member of the Detroit Pissonsin exchange for Quinton Grimes. Naji Marshall
(19:03):
here on a three year, twentyseven million dollar deal. I want to
start with Marshall because how he cameto be based off of the Dereck Jones
Junior situation has been something from Mavericksfans to kind of continue to wrap their
minds around, you know, fromyour reporting. You know, he had
described that the Mavericks had offered thesame three year, twenty seven million dollar
deal to Derek Jones Junior, butat the same time it was it wasn't
(19:26):
able to work out, and NajiMarshall, who's an up and coming player
at twenty six years old, nowgets that opportunity, you know, with
this Mavericks team. From your understanding, how did we get here with Derek
Jones Junior, that was you know, reporting about, you know, from
you in terms of his agency andswitch there what happened with that to where
he's now a member the lost againssClippers in that way. So here's a
(19:48):
tiny little todbit that I have notactually said out loud. Anywhere. You
know, I had heard Naji Marshallalso Isaacacorro as potential of Jones replacements as
early as the Thunder series. Andlook, that's how front offices operate,
They're always operating with continguously plans.I had also heard in that same breath
that at the time Dallas did notexpect to retain Derek Jones. At the
(20:14):
time, it ran contrary to whatI was hearing, and I quite frankly
didn't believe it, and I'm stillnot sure it was true, because you
know, when the finals ended inthe in the week that followed, my
understanding was that Derek Jones was likeliestto return to the team, and some
you know that that really dramatically changedwhen he changed representation and he decided to
(20:37):
go to Clutch to sign with Clutch, And there is a you know,
this is legal stuff. There isa fifteen day waiting period. You know,
before you can leave an agency,you have to you know, state
dictate that you are leaving it.And that waiting period, unless it's waived,
you know, is supposed to remainin place. And you know,
(21:02):
I guess either you know, whetherit's a workaround, whether it didn't happen.
Whether there's there's other stuff going onbehind the scenes, Like clearly he
signed with the Clippers. But Iyou know, what I reported on the
on June thirtieth, you know,kind of the afternoon leading into free agency,
was just my understanding that the agencychange had made a big impact on
(21:22):
Dallas's ability or willingness you know,some to some degree. I just knew
it had affected Dallas's expected ability oror you know, the likelihood that Dallas
was going to resign him that thatdoubt was creeping into that whole process,
that something that seemed like like aninety five percent lock had had suddenly fallen
(21:45):
into something much lower than that.And yeah, that that same three for
twenty seven deal that they had onthe table for for Jones, that that
clearly he had, you know,not you know, he had not accepted
it clearly, but you know,it did seem like he was going to
all of a sudden that changed andhe went to the Clippers. And I
(22:08):
don't understand exactly every aspect of howthat happened, but I do know the
agency change affected things. And Ido know that, you know, Nagie
Marshall was somebody that they had longseen and scouted and looked into as a
as a as a contingency plan,as someone that who they who they liked,
and they just turned around and offeredthat deal to him. And that's
(22:32):
how Naji Marshall is a maverick andI am. You know, I think
we'll find out. I don't thinkthere's any way, you know, I
don't think the best analyst in theworld can tell you for sure right now
which player is going to be moreimportant, whether it's going to be a
small upgrade or small downgrade. Infact, I think it's going to be,
you know, close enough. Ithink the two players and their productions
(22:56):
are going to be close enough toeach other that, you know, there's
no way to really know for sure, you know, I think they're in
a lot of ways. There's alot of one to one replicated abilities between
the two players. But that's someof what I understand about how this whole
little swap happened. And the restis something that certainly I'm interested in learning
(23:21):
more about and may be able tohere in the next few weeks. Yeah,
Derrick Jones Jr. Now a memberof the Clippers that three year,
thirty million dollar deal. They hadsome money open up because Paul George decided
to take his talents to Philadelphia toteam up with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxi.
And now for this Mavericks team,based off of what they have here
we talked about with Naji Marshall,also Quinton Grimes as well, we're looking
(23:44):
at, you know, an eightnine man rotation right now that looks pretty
good on paper. Based off ofwhat they have here, how would you
assess what the Mavericks have been ableto do? In essence turning Tim Harnaway
Junior, Derrick Jones Junior, andJosh Green into Clay Tome Sin, Naji
Marshall and Quinton Grimes, you sacrificea couple of second round picks to move
on to get Klay Thompson. Butat the same time, how would you
(24:07):
assess with this team is now afterwhat they finished a season with ending in
the NBA Finals against Boston. Ithink every player who was a inconsistent,
spotty, questionable shooter has been replacedby somebody who is more prolific in taking
those threes. I think there's QuentinGrimes is the most interesting player to me,
(24:29):
And we'll see. You know,I don't think it should be assumed
that that he's just going to allof a sudden be this player he was
his second year in New York.But I think there's a whole lot of
optimism that he could be that player, and a whole lot of excitement if
he is able to be that playerand what it would represent to Dallas.
But this is a team that wasunable to reliably hit up hit spot up
shots created by Luca and Kyrie,and that made it really difficult on Luca
(24:53):
and Kyrie. And we saw thatmost specifically in the NBA Finals, and
it's this completely different now. Youknow, they have completely bolstered and strengthened
that area of the team and inmy view, a really impressive way,
and they've taken a step back defensivelyto do that. I don't think there's
(25:14):
any doubt about that they're not goingto be as good of a defensive team,
but they're also you know, downthe stretch of the regular season,
they were the best defense in theNBA, and trying to thread that needle
and find a balance between a defensethat led them to the NBA Finals and
an offense that failed them once theygot there is what they needed to do
(25:37):
this this offseason, and I thinkthey've done a and moirable job trying to
solve that. And you know,from my view, before this team has
played a game, I think thatthey've you know, certainly solved it in
some areas. It will take theregular season, in which I expect them
to be very good, to reallylearn exactly how well they potentially solve that
(26:00):
issue and whether maybe you know,at the trade deadline they're looking to make
more moves or looking to you know, shuffle the team around just a little
bit more in a small way.But the continuity, the core of this
team remains intact in a way thatI think they they should have done and
they did succeed in doing. AndI think they're in a great position to
(26:22):
go into next season, no matterwhat other moves teams have made, no
matter how good Oklahoma City looks,this should be a team going into next
season expecting or believing that they canbe at the top of the Western Conference
when this season ends. And theywon fifty games last year, a team
that was able to finish in thetop five in the West. The West
(26:44):
continues to get strong, as we'veseen so far during this offseason. And
I want to ask you this aboutClay because you know, folks will have
questions about, you know, withClay, the idea was he wasn't you
know, keen on the idea ofcoming off the bench again in Golden State.
Obviously, Brandon Pajemski had a reallynice rookie year and was starting to
really start himself there as a starterpotentially going forward for the Golden State Warriors.
(27:06):
How a comfortable are you with Clayas a starter with this team,
given what he is and what they'reasking him to do, and how that
affects how the Mavers want to getafter teams not after night. Well,
if you like the Clay move,then he's going to be a starter.
That was part of signing him,and so you know that has to be
baked into this. I do thinka lot of what's going to make this
(27:27):
move succeed more or succeed less,because I do think it will be a
you know, I do think it'sa good move. I do think that
it will work well at least forthis season. It's going to be whether
he is you know, the JasonKidd and his coaching staff and all the
people around this organization can can makesure he understands that, yeah, there
(27:48):
may be times where it doesn't makesense for him to close games, that
he is going to be on avery staggered minute rotation, that sometimes maybe
it does make sense for him toonly play twenty to twenty five a night.
You know, he averages shade underthirty minutes last season for Golden State.
I expect his minute totals to be, you know, some something near
that. But maybe it's only twentyseven or twenty eight minutes per game.
(28:10):
And if that's what the right movefor the team is, then it's important
to make sure that Clay agrees andClay kind of you know, is able
to you know, embrace this opportunityfor what it is, even if it's
not quite the same as it oncewas. But look, he's going to
be a starter. That that wasthat was baked into the entire pursuit of
him. And yes, it posessome questions. I don't think Clay is
(28:36):
a completely washed, cooked, youknow, done, you know, terrible
defender. I do think that,like a lot of players on this team,
he is better off guarding threes andfours and there are not a lot
of players on this team ideally suitedto guard ones and twos. That is
something that a very good defensive schemewith defensive help behind you like Dallas has
(29:00):
can mitigate to an extent. Butcertainly I think Derek Jones's ability to you
know, guard a Paul George aswell as he can guard a Tyrese Maxi
or a Jamal Murray or a ShayGildess Alexander, I think that is something
that that's going to be missed alittle bit next season. But Dallas is
a good team that has a lotof uh, you know, defensive talent,
(29:23):
and it's going to be up tothe coaching staff to figure that out
to make it all work. AndI think after last season, seeing what
they were able to do after thedeadline, you should believe in them being
able to figure that out last weekbefore we get you out of here today,
Obviously, everything centers around Luka Dancicand his abilities to continue to drive
(29:44):
this team. Of course, makehis first NBA Finals appearance, was a
top three MVP candidate this year,and he's right now trying to help Slovenia
qualify for the Olympics. There's beena lot of criticism of the player for
the fact that he's still continued todeal with injury and playing in this tournament.
But you and I know, andand a lot of people know he's
going to play if he's hurt ornot. He's going to play with seems
Slovenia for you what he's going throughand trying to help Slovenia do, but
(30:10):
more importantly for his team going intonext year. Where do you feel like
he is after all of this,the amount of basketball he's played really for
the last couple of years now,and what that means for his health going
forward, and how the matters willtry to help him approach that going into
this upcoming season with all the anticipationnow, with this roster the way it
is, based on how it's beenbuilt. I mean, I just I
(30:32):
don't have a great answer, youknow, I don't know exactly which injury,
what it is, and what's affectinghim most. This is something that
he has been behind the scenes,very very sure and very you know,
(30:52):
he's just very certain. He doesn'twant to talk about it. He's very
stubborn, you know, maybe maybethat's the word that this is. He
he does not want the details ofhis injuries. You know, if his
if his injury stuff out there,he does not want it to be used
as an excuse, and that's kindof just comes baked into his personality.
(31:12):
And that said, he's he's clearlyyou know, not been one hundred percent,
and I don't I don't have ananswer of like what's going to fix
it? You know, he saidduring the postseason that it's you know,
it's not going to be until thesummer that he's able to rest, that
it that it heals, and that'syou know, even even behind the scenes
(31:33):
and conversations I have, that's youknow, I don't get much more of
an answer than that. And sothe hope is just that whenever the season
ends, and if he is inhibitedand if he is not one hundred percent
himself, you know, these thingsare kind of playing into each other that
you know, if if if he'snot able to be Luka Doncic, then
Slovenia probably isn't gonna you know,much of a contender. I haven't been
(31:56):
following that closely, to be honest, a little bit of a break from
basketball, So I don't I don'tknow exactly where his qualifications stand. You
know, but but I've seen thediscourse and I've seen you know, enough
of uh, you know, clipsenough to know that he still kind of
looks like the plotting, not quiteone hundred percent version of himself. And
I guess the question is, yeah, just when a season ends and how
(32:20):
he looks coming into uh, youknow this, this this next season that's
going to start not so long fromnow, you know, training camps at
the end of September. Obviously,he's going to be given some time even
you know, even into the startof the regular season to you know,
if if he were to need it, he would absolutely absolutely be given that
time. Dallas understands that they're youknow, they're now playing on a you
(32:43):
know, they're now they now gointo regular seasons with a one hundred game
schedule in mind, not an eightytwo game one And so it wouldn't shock
me at all if if, ifLuke of really needs that time to begin
the season, it wouldn't surprise me. This is I'm not reporting this.
I not been told this, butI do think it's very clear that Dallas
is going to do what it needsto do to make sure this is a
(33:07):
healthy player who can play into Mayand June if necessary, and do everything
they can to try to get himto that point. They have an understanding
of who Luca is, and Luca, I think understands that as well.
But how that all plays out justdepends on what happens and depends on what
his injuries are and depends on howthey heal whenever he finally sets down a
(33:30):
basketball for a few weeks. Andyou know, obviously, I think we
all want him to get back tothat one hundred percent version of himself because
that's the that's the player we enjoywatching. And I'm sure one way or
the other, you know, we'rewe're going to be able to get back
to that. So I'm not tooworried about him. I just don't know
exactly what the process of him gettinghealthy is going to look like. Yeah,
(33:52):
the members have put themselves in aposition where they're gonna be playing a
lot of deep playoff games based offof what we believe that this team is
going to be all for the nextseveral years with Luka donc is leading the
way. Of course, Tim tellthe folks so they can find you what
we can look forward to you fromme a little bit This summer here.
I think everybody knows Twitter, Podcast, The Athletic, all those places,
(34:13):
and I don't know trying to figureout right now. You know, there's
some stuff I'm going to be workingon in summer leak and then we'll figure
out what's to come after that,So stay tuned. Well, it should
be an a continuation of an excitingsummer for this Maverick squad based off of
what they've already done in free agencyand the anticipation for what's to come coming
into this next season. Tim isalways on, man, I appreciate you,
(34:36):
thank you so much for joining mehere on the show. I know
you're looking forward to a little bitof a break once this all settles down,
to be able to rest and recovera little bit, but I appreciate
you hanging out with me on theshow today, man. Thank you,
Yeah, for sure. Happy todo it. Man. That'll do it
for this episode of Inside the MapsAgain, Thank it to Tim Cato the
Athletic for joining me here on thisepisode. Makes you a download and subscribe
to the podcast wherever you get yourpodcasts or free give it a five star
(34:59):
rating and write a review for itwhile you're there, Like a comment and
subscribe to Kevin Gray Sports here onYouTube and follow me there as well.
Of course, your Mavericks Pampels gamesonly Dallas Mavericks Radio Network. This has
been Inside the Mass presented by Aura
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