Tim Cato On The Mavs’ Offseason Moves, Why Derrick Jones Jr. Moved On | GBag Nation

Tim Cato On The Mavs’ Offseason Moves, Why Derrick Jones Jr. Moved On | GBag Nation

and Tim good afternoon how the heck are you buddy what’s up boys sorry couldn’t sneak out there but uh sounds like you guys are enjoying yourself plenty yeah this is a a fantastic little spot down here so we’re we’re happy to be hanging out and look forward to the next time we can hang out with you in person Tim but it’s great to have you on the phone and I know all mass fans are wondering right now how much better are the Mavs than when uh the finals ended I think their stealing is higher and I I think that there are uh you know good questions Curiosities that we’re going to find out about this team in the regular season um you know I I don’t want to gloss over the the loss of derck Jones Jr makes the team different but I I think we saw very clearly in the finals you know Dallas needed shooting and they they needed more depth and it is impossible to look at this new look roster and you know not see that it’s it’s deeper and it has Shooters it has one of the best Shooters to ever you know play this Sport and so yeah I I think this team’s ceiling is higher I I think there’s a chance that uh a good chance that that this is all going to come together and work really well and that this is going to be a uh improved version of a team that just went to the finals last year and that’s obviously a great spot for for Dallas to be in were they able to get better shooting without losing the defense that Derrick Jones Jr provided with all the moves together it’s going to look different I I mean the thing that that you know I I think we were all so impressed by Derrick Jones Jr and you know by the by the uh you know as as as the regular season went on you know I I just I didn’t realize he was that good I knew he was good um he’s someone who I had on my all defense uh short list you know so not not a not a top 10 defender in the NBA but you know I thought he had a legitimate uh you know case to be a top 20 guy you know a top 10 you know Wing Defender perimeter Defender and it if you know that’s what you lose you can only put so much you know like like you can they have replaced him with with good Defenders but they haven’t replaced him with great Defenders and I do think that absence is is going to be felt a little bit I I do think that you know how how the team closes games uh you know which uh which which players are able to step up and you know be the Defenders for players like let’s say Tyrese Maxi and you know and uh johnar you know I I I think that’s something that that we need to see in the regular season whether it’s you know nji Marshall whether it’s Quinton Grimes whether Kyrie is going to be able to you know step up to that challenge throughout the regular season uh something that Jones uh you know handled real capably those type players last season but um yeah they have options they absolutely have have options and depth and and ways to manage this it’s it’s just a matter of uh how they go about doing it uh so Tim I want to ask you about Naji Marshall and how long he was possibly on the Mavericks radar because we were pretty impressed with the pivot of Derrick Jones Jr it seemed like he was ready to rock with with Nai Marshall uh for Nico and Company what do you think Na’s bringing to the table for Maverick fans that aren’t as Familiar of his game but how long maybe the Mavericks are kind of monitoring his situation yeah I mean his his nickname is is the knife which is is just one of the coolest nicknames I think in the entire NBA um yeah I I heard uh early in the postseason I remember uh you know hearing uh before one of the Oklahoma City Games it was probably game two you know that that he was somebody on their radar um you know I I heard in that same breath Isaac auro as as somebody else they were looking at um but but niji is is probably the most um you know competent offensive player of of those three and certainly a really solid uh defender of those three being Nai uh uh Jones and and auro and you know if if you know there’s there uh you know ni’s coming off his his best shooting season uh he he takes uh a slightly bigger volume he’s a he’s a confident guy who’s who’s going to take those shots when they come available uh and yeah he’s a you know the reason he’s called the KN knife is you know somebody’s like is is he is he a Swiss army knife and they’re asking Willie Green the Pelicans Coach and he’s like no he’s just a knife you know but they used him in this way where he just solved problems for them and you know when when they needed uh you know somebody like that off the off the bench uh to to go guard the best player on the team to you know just muck things up and and transition uh you know to hit some shots some some open shots uh that that’s what he’s been able to provide throughout his career down in New Orleans he’s he’s he’s a young guy too you know he’s not old and so you know I I I think that Dallas fans are really going to like getting uh to know this player when when he’s on the court next season uh because he’s fun and and he’s uh he’s productive and and I think I think it’s a great fit for Dallas hey Tim I was going to ask you with the you know they go out and they get Klay Thompson and and do you have a timeline of when he really became part of being on the Mavs radar as a guy like Hey listen we’re was this something that maybe they knowing that he was going to be a free agent that they talked about during the year or was this something after the season after they went through the run that they know that they knew they had to go get a guy like that uh I I put it this way my impression is that you know the playoffs made it very clear to the front office that this team needed to retool with more shooters that that what they had and and it really showed against Boston that you know there was just not enough players who you know could could step up and and hit those you know open looks you know semiopen looks and and sometimes even the open looks especially above the break you know when you’re playing a team like Boston you know one thing that they did throughout that uh throughout that series is they made sure not to allow those those Corner threes you know the ones that the role players were most comfortable with so when Clay comes on their radar um I I I don’t think you know I don’t know how much he was on the radar just because he wasn’t available for a while like like Clay’s intentions were very clearly to go back to Golden State and as that process drag uh you know drug on and and you know my colleagues at the athletic have done a lot of recoring about this Sam mck and uh Anthony Slater um you know he he got to the point where he was telling the Warriors like here is my offer you know like here’s here’s here’s what you know here’s an offer coming from me that you know was a discount offer something for like 20 million a year uh for just a couple years and and they were like uh you know the Warriors told him hey we can’t even negotiate you with you right now because we’re trying to get other stuff done and that sense of you know Clay feeling he wasn’t wanted uh is what finally made him you know open and available to uh you know to to go explore to the market and and and that’s when you know as soon as Dallas realized that of course they were interested because you know it kind of accomplished that number one uh thing on their checklist that they wanted to improve this summer so um you know I I can’t tell you for sure you know whether you know this was something that you know I’m sure it’s something they were monitoring for quite a quite a while it’s it’s been known for quite a while that this situation could have gone this way for clay and Golden State um but but I think you know the the first thing that had to happen was Clay had to really become resign to the fact that that he wasn’t going back to Golden State and from there you know it was a it was a pretty clean uh clear uh path for for Dallas to convince him and and you know and and I think clay has uh you know there’s been reporting as well that this this was his preferred option once he made that decision that realization that that Golden State you know that he wasn’t going to go back there Tim KO in the athletic it it is difficult I guess to digest from the outside looking in after so many times where the the player picks the Lakers that that he in particular would pick Mavs over Lakers do you did that surprise you at all I I think that you know one thing and and this was also from a athletic article from Tim kamaka but um you know our guy one of our guys up in up up in the Bay Area he wrote about how Kay just didn’t enjoy his his last season with the Warriors and one of the things was you know the the scrutiny of of his bad games and you know the the uh the comparisons to the player he once was and and that he no longer is and and that’s something inevitable when you know when you’re Klay Thompson and and you’re playing for that team where you know he was a a you know a a tier one Superstar and what I think is a huge credit to Dallas is that they have built up this uh environment this atmosphere uh this this organizational culture uh that players feel great about coming here and and they understand like just look at look at Kyrie Irving who you know like his his reputation around the league uh his his image is is completely different than than it was when he arrived here uh and Kyrie was somebody who who talk to playay you know do throughout this process and so I I I think it’s a huge credit you know obviously that isn’t you know every fre agents uh every fre agent is going to have different uh goals and and different things that they they’re coming into their you know uh in into a negotiation or or a decision to choose a team uh but Dallas had built up something has built up something uh that’s very different and and and I think was very appealing to Klay Thompson uh and that’s absolutely a testament it’s not what the organization was before Jason kid and Nico Harrison uh joined a few years ago uh it’s something very new and very impressive about this um you know about these Dallas Mavericks that that they are fundamental a bit different uh than than the organization that that we have been accustomed to uh watching uh kind of over the past couple decades talking with our guy Tim KO of the athletic here in the gag Nation so when it comes to the remainder of the off season now is there still a move left for the Mavericks to make we we kind of heard maybe a reunion with Dennis Smith Jr is that a possibility I I don’t know how much minutes would realistically be available for a guard like like him um you know or or Spencer Den witty is another name that’s been thrown around um I I I think you know Dallas has a roster spot and you know certainly they have a lot of ideas about how they may uh use it you know maybe it’s a situation that you know there’s not a lot of urgency with it but uh so so so it may be some time um or it could be quicker and you know but it’s not something that you know necessarily has to happen this this second you know certainly I know Dallas is you know considering a lot of options and and you know a lot of players who are still on the earth the market are you know kind of considering how how they would fit here I I I think if they get a backup guard there’s there’s you know there’s there’s absolutely value to that it’s just a question of you know if it’s a backup guard um you know there’s there’s about you know five or six players you’re about you know six5 or under um you know it’s kind of more of an emergency role for you know when Luca Andor Kyrie Miss time in the regular season uh that that would be a really valuable thing for Dallas to have I I just don’t know how appealing of a pitch that is to a player like Dennis Smith Jr uh who who should be a rotation player and so if if they can promise him a bit more of a role um you know it doesn’t it doesn’t seem you know to you know and certainly when we’re talking about those those johnar and those you know Tyrese Maxis uh you know Dennis Smith is a great defender you know may you know maybe there is more of a role just because they need a guard Defender um but yeah as I see the roster right now I I think that you know a lot of what Dallas is doing is just pitching people on okay this is the role you’re actually going to play and then free agents have to kind of decide okay you know are they willing to accept that uh do they bet on themselves to to carve out something that you know maybe a little bit bigger than than perhaps with pitch to them right now all right Tim here’s my question it’s probably going to have you scratching your head uh when we watch summer league basketball is there any of these dnps during the season that you’re keeping an eye on of like okay I’m going to see where this guy is at going into Camp is there anybody kind of got your eye on that you’re you’re you’re looking at that maybe can can make that jump that we that they probably need oh yeah absolutely it’s it’s omx Prosper for me you know Li Max Prosper is is the guy who you know really played well in in the g- league really uh uh impressed me you know he was taking you know a good number of Threes at like about a 40% clip um he is a tall Wing you know he’s he’s 68 you know he’s a big he’s a big dude and that is so valuable in the NBA and he is not the same player as as Maxi um you know but they’re you know in terms of size and what position they they play there there’s a little bit of overlap there and you know I I think Maxi You know despite you know I know the Mavs fan base is a bit down on him I you know I get it he’s 32 he’s aging uh you know declining a bit I I do think he has a role to play on this team next season um but but it’s very clear that you know Dallas has to be thinking about you know a replacement plan you know somebody who’s going to step in uh at some point you know maybe as soon as this season but but certainly in the ones to come uh that that that’s going to be a player who who can kind of do what Maxi does because I I think he’s been really valuable to this team and if omx can can show that if he can carve out a rotation role uh I’m just very very intrigued with how that goes and and I do think it’s possible that you know he at least is a is a uh you know sometimes rotation player for this team next season very curious to see how he plays at Summer League it’s Tim KO in the athletic as far as you know longterm what’s their next opportunity to get better is that the the deadline and and what kind of assets do they now hold after the moves that they made yeah they have um oh man going off the top of my head I believe they have uh you know two first round picks um you know they they didn’t give up any first- round picks to make any of the any of these moves which I thought was you know really good work by the front office um and then they have you know the the players that are on the roster and you know I think that you know the the biggest half to Improvement is is what Dallas has already done this summer and and I think that you know it’s it’s going to come in the regular season to see how this gels but you know we’ve also seen that that Nico Harrison in this front office is is very bold that they they are not scared to make changes so so if there is you know some opportunity to to go get a you know like you know like a like a big uh scoring you know Wing three and D Wing you know that’s probably you know the big Target Dallas would be looking for and I I wouldn’t rule it out you know I I I think this team at this point you know this front office they want to see how this team looks on the court and and you know they might feel confident that you know any move they they would consider at the deadline is just something around the edges but um you know if there’s one target that that makes sense it’s that kind of uh AR type of a player that style of player um and they still got a little bit left uh that that they could go try to make a swing if if just the right opportunity presents itself one of the top GMS are getting starting to get recognized with this what what are folks saying around what what Nico’s been able to do the last I don’t know 24 months or so I I think I think people are really impressed with them you know I I think that uh you can’t look at at this team and and see how they’ve you know rebounded so quickly from um you know from the loss of Jaylen Brunson which you know we don’t need to go back and relitigate that but it was a big loss you know it’s tough to lose a player like that for for nothing in return and you know they they had to you know act quickly and and decisively and and make and take some risks to you know kind of rebuild this roster and you know it’s it’s a young roster too you know outside of Kyrie Irving you know all these players are like 20 you know 20 27 or 26 or or younger you know Luca obviously is still 25 and so uh yeah I I think that he is absolutely you know obviously earned a contract extension during the the run to the finals and you know I I think there’s a lot of people really impressed with with the work he was able to do you know rebuilding this team um especially you know and he took some luck you know like like the the season you know the draft Pi that got them Derrick Lively you know but uh that that’s that’s always going to be the case in the NBA uh certainly Nico Harrison deserves you know a lot of credit and and Laurels for everything that he’s been able to do over over the past uh you know 12 plus months you’re the man Tim is there anything else about this basketball team to tell us about before we let you go ah I think that’s about it I think that’s I I think I think they’re in a good place man so you know I’m excited to watch them next season enjoy your summer sir oh Brian hey Tim real quick uh is the coaching staff going to stay intact uh I think still an open question that is a good question um okay sorry about that I got it to you late my bad oh no no no no you’re fine you’re fine it’s it’s a it’s a very good question but but I I think that you know there we’re still in a situation where there’s there’s some uh you know you got to get the uh the the actual roster moves out of the way and and now got you know now teams are looking a little bit more seriously at uh all the assistant coaches and and the carousel that that could happen our guy Tim KO thank you so much sir have a great summer we’ll chat with you soon absolutely you guys too [Music]

The Athletic’s Mavericks beat writer Tim Cato joined the GBag Nation after the frenzy of free agency to discuss how much better the Mavs are now than when their season ended in Boston, why Derrick Jones Jr. chose to move on to the Clippers, and more!

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