NBA Insider Marc Stein On If The Dallas Mavericks Should Go ALL IN
Mark, the vibes are the vibes have sh uh shifted in the chat. I know you always ask about the tank in chat and uh we got a super chat earlier that we’ve been holding on to until you got here. So, we’ve spent the last basically three months asking you every day, so are they going to tank or not? Uh well, Sheldon comes in with the 499 super shot. Uh 499 super shout out Sheldon. Say that five times fast. Um if the Mavs beat OKC next game, should they go allin? their pick won’t be top eight, maybe not even top 10. If they go all in, what or who is a realistic target? Okay. They don’t have a ton of picks to go all in, but they do have a couple. Yeah. I mean, that’s a that’s the thing. I mean like they still like to me look if they play if AD we said this coming into the season as well like if AD is a two-way force you’re not going to be able to tank. I mean, when he’s playing when he’s out there and playing at this level, you know, they’re obviously going to be in playing range at at the worst and the bottom of the West is more open than we thought it was going to be. Um, you know, they don’t have a ton of trade assets to quote go allin. I mean, it’s going to be fascinating to see. I mean, again, the the tenor around the mood around the team has changed so much just after a few wins that I think everyone’s kind of recalibrating a little bit. Obviously, Patrick Deont was here tonight sitting courtside. I would love to know what he made of it, but direct me in a more I mean, do you have a more am I missing something like where do you want to be training for Giannis? No, I don’t think that’s what Sheldon’s asking, but yes, I am curious. Yes, exactly. I mean, do they have enough assets to realistically get that done? I don’t see it. But I would also say like still we are not to the point of Giannis really forcing his way out. And that’s to me what still has to happen. And we’re just not there yet. like the time to do it was the off season and he didn’t. And you heard Doc Rivers today come out and say that no matter what’s been reported, Giannis has never asked to be moved. And I he they’ve certainly all danced around it. But like until Giannis makes that push, it’s to me it’s not going to happen. And he has not been willing to make that push. It’s got to come from the player. The Bucks don’t want to trade him. Clearly, they don’t want to go down that road. So, until Giannis is the one really forcing the issue, I don’t know that we’re going to I I just still it’s hard for me to see it in season. I just think it is more likely in the off season than during the season. But look, there’s been enough discussion today. Every team is going to call and the Mavs will certainly be on the list. You have to call and see, do we have anything you like? Can we assemble a multi-team trade? Like that the Mavs will obviously run the ground ball out. You have to make the call and see if you have any chance. But again, to me, like Giannis to this point has not applied real pressure that forces Milwaukee’s hand. And until that happens to me, I just don’t know how much farther down the line it really is, even though obviously today everyone is talking about it. Let’s thank our television for joining us here on the uh DLS Mans podcast uh and our postgame show. The conversation will continue over on all dls.com. Make sure you go to all dls.com, become a diehard member. Today uh we are joined by our national NBA insider Mark Stein here on our DLS MS postgame show after the M get a 118 uh 108 win for their third straight win as they take out uh the third best team in the Eastern Conference in the Miami Heat as the Mavericks get ready to go on the road for the first time of a road home backtoback on Friday night uh when they take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Real quick thought before we um wrap up here. The Giannis Bucks situation feels a lot like the early stages of the Damen Lillard Portland Trailblazer situation. Neither one of them was wanted to break up with the other until Dne finally got to a point was like, “Okay, okay, I just need to be the one to say it. I need to go.” And then obviously we saw what happened and move things moved. Maybe Giannis has to be the one, as uncomfortable as it may be for him after 13, 14 seasons in Milwaukee to be like, you know what, it’s time for us to go ahead and part ways what’s best for him and what’s best for the organization. It just feels like neither one of them wants to make the move and say it’s time for us to break up. No, I can tell you for sure the Bucks do not want to like and if you go to Milwaukee, that’s when you really feel it. The whole thing there, it is all built around Giannis. They didn’t win a championship for 50 years. And if Giannis stays, whether they’re in the championship conversation or not, they’re relevant. They matter. Like, he’s he’s so pivotal to that franchise. So, like I said, until he’s the one who really forces the issue, I just don’t see this going super far. Now, maybe that can hap. Maybe that will happen. out may you know Giannis when he talked about this at the start of the season he acknowledged that know he has had some wanderlust thoughts but he says it’s something that I only think about in the off seasonason he says once the season starts I’m all in so that kind of sent the signal around the league of okay he’s going to he’s going to play out this season with the Bucks then we’ll see have things gotten bad enough in Milwaukee given the start, given the state of their roster, given the limited assets they have to make a move to change their roster, has it reached the point that something could actually happen during the season? Again, I think that that has to come from the player saying, “I’m done. I want to go. Let’s let’s let’s work on a trade.” And I the Bucks the Bucks posture I mean they’re wait you know they’re waiting for their hand to be forced. They don’t want they don’t want to trade him. Unfortunately I think there’s a lot of overlap in Coops and Giannis’ games. And so I’m not sure uh despite AD and Giannis making the same amount of money in both teams being in a situation where trading dollar for dollar would actually help a whole lot. I’m not sure there’s a path there for the Mavs, Kevin, and it breaks my heart to say that, but um Mark, kind of going back to the the super chat before. So, I would think, you know, or two weeks ago version of Bobby would have thought that if the Mavs were going to try and make an addition at the deadline as opposed to break it down. They were trying to buy, they would want to add a guard. Well, if Ryan Nhard keeps playing like this, they don’t really need a guard, do they? Um, if anything, they need a big Gaffford left the game injured. I don’t know if I don’t remember if Ron shared an update with that. I don’t think we have an update on Gaffford. Uh, Derek Lively, who knows? Like, so I don’t know. I mean, maybe maybe the Derek, you know, Derek Lively, if you guys remember that I reported that the fear was an extended absence. The team then announced he’s out a minimum 7 to 10 days and then they were going to update it after 7 to 10 days, but I think the outstanding footage from our own Abby Jones this week showed that Lively had a boot on his foot. So, I don’t think he’s coming back in 7 to 10 days. We don’t know how long it is. We don’t know Gaffford status, but obviously Gaffford went down, left the game, did not return. You know, we are going it’s going to be a roller coaster, but there’s going there’s going to be there there’s going to be lots of discussion obviously between now and February 5th. I mean, today is December 3rd. Yes. for a little bit longer. Trade season does not really start until December 15th when the majority of free agents who sign contracts in the summer become eligible to be traded. So, it’s still a little bit early to get a great read on things. Um, but obviously, look, the Mavs are a team of huge curiosity around the league. Every team, every other team I talk to wants to talk about the Mavs. They’re trying to figure out what direction the Mavs are going to go. And I think the Mavericks, to be honest, are still figuring out the best direction to go. But look, to me, I don’t want to sit here and go, “Okay, three-game winning streak, even though especially the last, you know, beating Denver, beating Miami, these are teams that have gotten off to strong starts. They’re very good wins, but like because of the draft pick situation, I still think it behooves the Mavs to end up in the lottery because you don’t have control of your first for 20 in 27, 28, 29, or 30. So, I think in the grand scheme of things, that would still be the better outcome. But playing like this, playing what the way we’ve seen these last three games, this is the this is more of the team that we expected and that I think more of the team that people around the league expected. And look, the best part about it probably is I mean, Nebart is a Cinderella story. AD has come back and played three good games. You know, he’s he’s he’s certainly rounding into form. The best part of the story is what that has done for Cooper Flag. To have AD at the five, to have a point guard running the team in a low mistake, highly efficient way. Look what it has done for Cooper Flag. It’s just unlocked him and set him hurdling towards the rim, which the Carllustrator, I’m sure, loves.
NBA insider Marc Stein joins the DLLS Mavs Podcast with Bobby Karalla and Kevin Gray Jr. to break down whether the Dallas Mavericks should go all-in following their impressive three-game win streak. With the franchise entering a new era and searching for its next cornerstone, the conversation turns toward big swings, bold trades, and whether a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo could ever be a realistic target.
With the organization reshaping its identity, the question is simple:
Should the Mavericks push their chips in immediately… or wait for the perfect superstar opportunity?
If you’re a MFFL, an NBA fan who loves roster-building talk, or someone who follows league-wide trade rumors, this breakdown is loaded with insight.
#MFFL #DallasMavericks #MarcStein #Giannis #NBATradeRumors #NBA #KevinGrayJr #BobbyKaralla
18 comments
Going all in, and ruining our one shot at another high lottery pick, would guarantee the Mavs spend the next half decade in nba purgatory.
No we need to try to win with what we got you never know what might happen. The last season Pacers are evidence of that. Nobody had them going to the Finals and they had a terrible start just like these Mavs.
we know you cheated in this event
I don’t know how the way the team has been playing the last three games could have been “expected” before the season without the emergence of Nembhard as a scoring and facilitating point guard and the quicker than normal progression of 18 year old Flagg. Were both of those things “expected”? I think not.
Let’s go Mavs! Let’s make a playoff run!! We are doing good these past games without kyrie, pj, Gafford and lively playing. Our 2nd unit will be Cole once they come back
Are we winning it all?
Trade AD for draft capital and cap relief. Think of Cooper silly Mavericks and don’t be foolish like you were with Dirk.
The goal doesn't change. Clearly we aren't tanking and that's fine, but you raise AD's trade value and ship him out for whatever you can get and prioritize if possible this upcoming draft. Flagg is developing and getting reps which is huge and now we're discovering these young guards which is perfect. Don't make the same mistake with Nemhard they made with Brunson.
We need high draft picks in this draft.
3 wins in a row right now feels like we won a chip 😂
we solved PG enough to hold on till Kyrie comes back and maybe the 2 of them can play on the court at the same time with Ryan functioning as the PG to function as the ball distributor and Kyrie being the 3 point shooting assassin SG like when we had Luka. Kyrie as an off the ball player can dissect the other teams defense when we need a bucket and when you have our 6 deep front court at SF, PF, C situation Cooper, Lively, AD, Naji, Gafford, PJ the team is super deep and at the 1 and 2 you can play Nembhard and Irving with Max and Bwill off the bench. Klay is there for 3 pointers as well so they have 5 guys to play 2 positions that can probably start. Add in Cisse when a 5 needs to rest or recover from injury and you have another rookie we found to perform a use on the team.
Unless we can put together a package to get Giannis, I would not worry about any trades!
List of the only 7 drafted players who actually won the teams that drafted them 3 titles or more over the last 50 years. Magic, Bird, Jordan, Tim Duncan, Kobe, Steph and Klay. And I believe Cooper can be the 8th so Why are these draft picks so important again.
Nico built a good team, I guess. Still mad at him, but this is a fun team, to watch!
Guy on the left missing a crucial button on that shirt
Absolutely. Either you are playing with Giannis or playing against him.
OKC looks menacing but you can still attack their middle like every other team. The only way the Luka stinks gets off this team is with a championship trophy. Period full stop. Just one.
That solves all the regret and pain.
Either we are buyers or sellers in 2026.
It’s more fun to be buyers.
This would be the year for recklessness and wild, ridiculous leaps of faith.
There is an unquestionable “path” for the Mavs. PJ, Gafford, Lively are all worth at least one #1 pick and when combined with our own available picks we are around six number ones.
That plus a little, harmless threat from Giannis should push the deal through.
Similar to the Shaq trade. Very similar.
Giannis could veto any deal merely by saying he won’t extend beyond June 2026. Players run the league.
If Giannis wants it they’ll he will have it.