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At the wild 2024 trade deadline,NixwithLone rangerThey didn't make a deal directly, but their actions still had a connection — starting in January 2019, when the Mavericks sent two first-round picks (plus other assets) from the KnicksPorzingisto team him up with the budding superstar Doncic.
The Mavericks bottomed out the previous year's record and traded up to get Doncic. It didn't take long for Doncic to know one thing: he could become a All-NBA star—the hardest thing to find in an NBA team and the cornerstone of the team's rebuild.
Porzingis left in the 2018-19 season, and the Knicks' record dropped to 17-65. They got the scout pick, ruining their way to finding their signature young star — that isWilliamsonwithMorant——'s sweet dream. The Knicks used the scout pick to select the skilled oneBarrett。When they signed Barrett early in August 2022, the Knicks and their fans were happy because they learned some of the most distorted team calendars: since Charlie Ward, who was drafted in 1994, this was the first time the Knicks had signed an early contract extension to retain their chosen first-round pick. Even though the Knicks in the past were fond of asking for trouble and going after the kind of players who looked good on the surface, they cheered for Barrett's early contract extension. (Before Barrett, the Knicks had already screwed up the No. 10 pick twice.)KnoxwithNelikina。So when the Knicks started from scratch, they weren't in a good position and didn't have great lottery luck. ）
The Knicks are slowly starting to take pride in their first-round pick young core — and in addition to Barrett, there's another group of players:QuickleyToppinGrimes。All four players are now gone, which shows that the operation they have made along the way is really amazing, and it feels like nothing in this team building feels wasted - you don't feel like the Knicks are lending the future by sending away all of their first-round picks.
And the biggest reason why they have come to this point today isBronson- He's an All-Star point guard now, and the Knicks snatched him from the Mavericks in 2022 in free agency.
The NBA officials even punished the Knicks for the signing, because the Knicks had a conversation with Bronson before the free agency window opened, and they couldn't theoretically do that. At the time, the Knicks had hired Bronson's father, Rick Bronson, to serve as an assistant coach behind Thibodeau — a role that Rick had on both the Thibodeau team during the Bulls and Timberwolves. Three months before Bronson's signing, some members of the Knicks' think tank "brazenly" went to Dallas to watch Bronson's first-round game with the Mavericks. The Mavericks made it to the division finals — proving that Doncic is a player in his early 20s who can take the team to this level.
The Mavericks were in the lead at the time in dealing with Bronson's issues — and certainly ahead of the Knicks. But they were too slow to react and failed to offer Bronson an early contract extension, so they put Bronson on full free agency after their 2022 playoff journey. The Knicks pounced on the occasion at the right time.
Bronson is now 27 years old. He changed the trajectory of the Knicks' history. He's getting too strong, and the Knicks have no choice but to try and win big on his timeline.
Bronson's rise has also turned Quickley into a sacrificial state. Quickley was (and still is) waiting for a lucrative new contract, and the Knicks knew that as long as Quickley played as a stand-in for Bronson, he would never be able to play a game that matched the high salary. The Knicks sent Quickley and Barrett away in exchange for 26-year-old Anunoby from the Raptors — a natural 3-and-D player who is efficient off the ball and can be more compatible with Bronson and Randle.
Randle got in the way of Topin's growth, so the Knicks also sent Toppin away — to the Pacers — and it was during Topin's cheap rookie contract, which he was getting next season to get an even more expensive new contract. They traded Toppin for only two second-round picks, but what they needed was operational flexibility to sign two important supporting playersHartwithDiVincenzo。Hart was 28 years old. DiVincenzo is 27 years old — as old as Bronson. (They played together at Villanova University.) ）
And when the Knicks traded for a player from a non-Bronson timeline, onlyGrimesSacrificed:Bojan BogdanovicwithBurks, two outside veterans in their early 30s, came to the Knicks as part of a massive trade with the Pistons before the deadline. The Knicks didn't send any future first-round picks in the deal — they didn't send a first-round pick when they traded Hart from the Trail Blazers last season.
Burks, who is on expiring contract, has combined projection and playmaking skills to allow the Knicks bench to regain that missable ability after trading away Quickley. Bogdanovic's $19 million contract next season is only guaranteed for $2 million — meaning his contract structure is almost identical to what would have been the case if the Knicks had kept Fournier. His contract could be a good match for a blockbuster deal in the future. (Fournier has a 19 million team option next season; The Knicks sent him away in this trade with the Pistons. Bogdanovic is a top-notch goalscorer and he unlocks a lot of interesting lineup combinations. Now that Anunoby's elbow surgery is still in the first stage, Bogdanovic is also his temporary replacement.
Burks and Bogdanovic not only strengthen the Knicks' current strength, but also do not hinder the Knicks' ability to acquire another All-Star caliber player in the future. The Knicks kept all of their first-round picks; There are additional first-round picks of varying qualities from the Mavericks, Pistons, Wizards, and Bucks; There are also a lot of second-round picks.
In the East, the Celtics are the favorites, but the Knicks can now imagine a chance to make it to the Finals. This team is fantastic. They could also be out of the first round — like the 76ers with a re-healthy Embiid — or a second-round exit if they run into the wrong matchup, especially if they are in a half with the Celtics. When you're already in the top 1 or 3 teams in the league, but you're not the top team, your margin for error is so low. But the Knicks' ceiling before this trade may only be a brief trip to the division finals. Now, they have a higher ceiling.
If they return to health at some point this seasonMitchell RobinsonTheir starting five are Bronson, DiVincenzo, Anunoby, Randle and Mitchell. Burks, Hart, Bogdanovic and Hartenstein make up the bulk of their bench – and Thibodeau could split the time of Bronson and Randle so they can keep at least one on the pitch for the most important games. (Thibodeau could use McBride if he wanted to increase the depth of the rotation to 10.) The Knicks also acquired Achiuwa in the Anunoby trade, and he's also a high-quality spare tire insurance if the team wants to add rotation. ）
It's a team with plenty of depth and a lot of difficulty to play against. The Knicks can have a lot of shooters next to Randle and Bronson — or a 4-shooter + 1-rim lineup when Randle is on the break. (Bogdanovic, Anunoby and Hart could play together — plus Bronson and a center — so that when Randle rests, they can play a bigger lineup.) They had more options, such as having Randle play center as a tempo change in the game, although Thibodeau never showed much interest in doing so (given that Robinson and Hartenstein both played well, Thibodeau didn't do that.) ）
It's amazing that the Knicks have come to this position, in part because they've really stepped up the ladder — they've steadily made one small clever move after another, and they've finally been able to make even bigger achievements. You don't even notice where these people came from when the Knicks present everything to you, but today's Knicks are suddenly going off like fireworks. But none of that would have happened without the historic signing of Bronson from the Mavericks.
And the moment when the Mavericks changed team history was when they swapped their 2018 first-round pick with the Hawks and then selected Doncic — and the Hawks drafted Trae Young.
Despite their efforts to keep the Lakers, Nets and Pelicans in talks with the Hawks, the Hawks failed to negotiate a viable deal for Dejounte Murray before the deadline, sources said. None of the Hawks and these teams have been talking too deeply. The Lakers chose to stay put, despite pressure from James, who has a player option next season. According to sources, the Lakers are reluctant to include Reaves in any of Murray's conversations, and the Lakers' summary is also correct, and any swap between Reaves and Murray is basically a flat operation. ）
As a result, the Lakers' offer of Murray could only include Russell, a salary increase, their 2029 first-round pick — they can only send one first-round pick — and maybe add Christie or Jalen Hood Schfino to pack some of those chips. Murray is stronger than Russell — and more compatible with the Lakers, a team that needs outside knife-level breakout speed — but he's not much better than Russell, who has been a reliable version of lately, so he doesn't deserve the Lakers plus all the other extra chips. It's not clear if the Hawks want to make the deal or not; I'm skeptical. It's also unclear whether the Lakers gave the exact **.
Now, the Lakers have three first-round picks that can be traded in the offseason, and these teams may be talking about trades again. Depending on how the Hawks progress over the next two months or so, perhaps the Lakers will reach the point of the offseason when the player they feel should be looking for a trade is Young, not Murray. If the Hawks do make Young tradable, the Lakers will compete for him. More teams in the league are now watching what moves from Young and the Hawks. Young's ability as an offensive engine — he's a passing genius and has the ultra-long range to break down any defensive strategy — is unquestionable. But you will wonder what kind of team system will make him and his team successful at the highest level.
And the Mavericks probably had the most interesting and adventurous deadline as they got Gaford and P. in two tradesj.Washington, around Doncic once again revamped the lineup. In an effort to get Gafford — possibly Derrick Lively's backup — they sent Holmes and a 2024 first-round pick from the Thunder. In order to get this Thunder signing, they gave the Thunder the right to swap first-round picks in 2028; Doncic could enter free agency in 2026, but the Mavericks may be able to offer him a super-max contract extension before then.
A first-round pick of any kind is fine for a bench player, but during Lively's time in the NBA, Gafford was able to play a lot of time; Lively averaged just 26 minutes per game. Gafford is a good defender, and the Mavericks can now use a rim-punching center for all 48 minutes — the kind of player Doncic is a perfect match — though it's unclear what that might mean for Kleber and Dwight Powell. (Kreber can at least play power forward because of his shooting ability.) ）
In another, bigger deal, the Mavericks traded Grant Williams, Seth Curry and a 2027 first-round pick from the Hornets in exchange for Washington. You may recall that the Mavericks gave the 2030 first-round pick swap to the Spurs in a three-way deal with Williams seven months ago. The Spurs and Victor Wembanyama have a good chance of being strong teams by 2030 – so the Spurs' signing could be the end of the first round. The Mavericks' 2030 first-round pick is even harder**.
So all things considered, the Mavericks traded a top-two first-round pick and a 2030 first-round pick swap in exchange for Washington — and they paid to tear up Williams' signing (depending on your perspective, they upgraded it). They owe the Nets an unprotected 2029 first-round pick in the Irving trade — a deal that largely makes up for the loss of Bronson in free agency. (The Irving trade also cost them Dinwiddie and Finney Smith, and sources say Smith could have traded for a first-round pick in some of the trade frames at the deadline.) The Nets chose to keep him. The Nets sent O'Neal to the Suns in exchange for three second-round picks, and both sides made good moves. O'Neal can fill in the depth of the Suns' wings, giving the Suns a player who can move the ball quickly and likes to be a random cover wall — and for the Suns, they need some fast-paced incompetence. O'Neal also gave the Suns the opportunity to try more of Durant's lineup as a center. ）
According to sources, the Mavericks discussed a trade involving Kuzma with the Wizards and were offering a 2027 first-round pick to the Wizards, and when those talks fell through, the Mavericks turned their attention to the Hornets. According to other sources, the Wizards have been telling trade partners that they would be happy even if they kept Kuzma. Many playoff teams will have the ability to send more future first-round picks in the offseason — meaning more assets could be thrown to teams like this that own Washington.
The Mavericks could have done the same — but they ran out of assets on deadline day. The Mavericks also owed the Knicks a first-round pick in the Porzingis trade that they didn't give away.
And these draft pick assets given away in 2030 put the Mavericks in very big danger. Doncic hasn't had a contract in the past few years. Owen is now almost 32 years old. These deals limit the operational flexibility of the Mavericks' roster upgrades in the future. (They still have some draft pick swaps to use in the trade, which could open up some years of pick flex once they give away the last pick they owe to the Knicks.) They didn't have studs, but they were also very close. What kind of team are you studing on?
The Mavericks are a strong team. They're stronger than they were before the deadline. Gafford can solidify the team's bench. Washington is a more well-rounded offensive player than Williams, and the Mavericks also need someone else — especially a frontcourt player — to shoot and play on the move. Washington can do that, and it can also mismatch and eat small-sized players. Josh Green seems to be on the verge of a metamorphosis as a supporting player on the offensive end, though on several occasions he has recoiled into the same corner before he seems to be on the verge of emergence.
As long as Doncic is on the court, the Mavericks have a chance. As long as Irving and Doncic are healthy, their offense is very good.
But the competition for the top of the West is too fierce. The Mavericks are still only flat on the defensive end, and Washington is still relegated defensively compared to Williams. Gafford can make up for the defensive gap between the two to some extent, but it's not clear how much. The Mavericks will need to play at or near a championship level for the next 2-3 years to be worthy of their gamble on the future. Doncic has proven that he's just too good to drag a mediocre roster to the conference finals. That season — the 2021-22 season — was also the only time Doncic made it past the first round in his Mavericks era. Irving has missed 22 of the 52 games this season.
The western army is strong, and it seems that it is getting stronger every year. The Thunder and Nuggets, as the current top 4 in the West, must have always belonged to the top ranks. The Clippers are getting older, but if they can wait until all the key players return, they should be strong. The Timberwolves still need to deal with their salary, but they also have a decent roster around rising star Anthony Edwards. So, it still feels a bit far-fetched for the Mavericks to actually compete for the championship - considering they've thrown too many resources away, the Mavericks may need to get better luck than they thought.
Maybe none of these are a problem. Doncic is too strong. Maybe the Mavericks are confident that they are destined to sign Doncic with a super-max salary, allowing him to stay with the team for a long time after his current contract ends. The Lone Ranger knows better than us outsiders how to do this.
But ever since acquiring Porzingis — and the team concluded that he had a bad compatibility with Doncic and sold him in three years — the Mavericks have been working for nothing. One operation thunderstruck, and then more operations filled the holes. What has to be admired by the Mavericks is that every time they find a problem, they quickly change the direction of the team, but their assets are also depleted in the process, and the potential negative impact in the future is also catastrophic.
And at the center of all of this is Bronson — the Mavericks let the guard go, and the latter went to the Knicks to lead the team through the rebuild.