@LurkMoar did you see this?
http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/mavericks/post/_/id/4703905/why-didnt-the-mavs-draft-the-greek-freak
Why didn't the Mavs draft the 'Greek Freak'?
December, 3, 2014
DEC 3
3:20
PM CT
By Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com
MILWAUKEE -- Pinching pennies in preparation of their failed pursuit of Dwight Howard in free agency prevented the Dallas Mavericks from drafting Giannis Antetokounmpo.
That's not a new revelation. Mavs owner Mark Cuban acknowledged last year that Dallas president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson wanted to pick the "Greek Freak" with the 13th overall pick, only to have Cuban decide to trade down to save salary-cap space.
It's just particularly topical this week, when the Mavs have two meetings with Antetokounmpo'sMilwaukee Bucks, the first of which is Wednesday night at the Bradley Center.
The 6-foot-11, multi-skilled Antetokounmpo appears to be blossoming into a star, averaging 12.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a 19-year-old for the surprising Bucks this season.
"He's making us look bad for sticking to our plan," Cuban said Tuesday evening. "That was Donnie. [Drafting Antetokounmpo] is what Donnie wanted to do and I said we should stick to the plan.
"The whole point is that I wanted to stick to the plan and Donnie was like, 'This guy's going to be good. I'll risk everything that he's going to be good.' I said, 'I believe you, Donnie.'
"But still, what if all of the sudden we find out that so-and-so is dying to come to the Mavs and now you don't have the cap room? That's why we put together a plan, and our consolation wasn't too bad."
The Mavs' immediate consolation prize, after trading down twice, was taking point guard Shane Larkin with the 18th overall pick and saving a little less than $400,000 in cap space.
The Mavs, of course, weren't able to convince Howard to come to Dallas. The reality is that they still would have needed to do some cap tinkering to make room to give Howard a max contract.
Larkin was part of the package that the Mavs shipped to New York to bring back Tyson Chandler, a center who will have an All-Star argument if he keeps performing at the level he has so far this season. But let's not act as if Larkin was a centerpiece in that trade. He was a throw-in.
Antetokounmpo would have been a foundation piece for the Mavs' future, something Dallas hasn't found in the draft in more than a decade.
http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/mavericks/post/_/id/4703905/why-didnt-the-mavs-draft-the-greek-freak
Why didn't the Mavs draft the 'Greek Freak'?
December, 3, 2014
DEC 3
3:20
PM CT
By Tim MacMahon | ESPNDallas.com
MILWAUKEE -- Pinching pennies in preparation of their failed pursuit of Dwight Howard in free agency prevented the Dallas Mavericks from drafting Giannis Antetokounmpo.
That's not a new revelation. Mavs owner Mark Cuban acknowledged last year that Dallas president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson wanted to pick the "Greek Freak" with the 13th overall pick, only to have Cuban decide to trade down to save salary-cap space.
It's just particularly topical this week, when the Mavs have two meetings with Antetokounmpo'sMilwaukee Bucks, the first of which is Wednesday night at the Bradley Center.
The 6-foot-11, multi-skilled Antetokounmpo appears to be blossoming into a star, averaging 12.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a 19-year-old for the surprising Bucks this season.
"He's making us look bad for sticking to our plan," Cuban said Tuesday evening. "That was Donnie. [Drafting Antetokounmpo] is what Donnie wanted to do and I said we should stick to the plan.
"The whole point is that I wanted to stick to the plan and Donnie was like, 'This guy's going to be good. I'll risk everything that he's going to be good.' I said, 'I believe you, Donnie.'
"But still, what if all of the sudden we find out that so-and-so is dying to come to the Mavs and now you don't have the cap room? That's why we put together a plan, and our consolation wasn't too bad."
The Mavs' immediate consolation prize, after trading down twice, was taking point guard Shane Larkin with the 18th overall pick and saving a little less than $400,000 in cap space.
The Mavs, of course, weren't able to convince Howard to come to Dallas. The reality is that they still would have needed to do some cap tinkering to make room to give Howard a max contract.
Larkin was part of the package that the Mavs shipped to New York to bring back Tyson Chandler, a center who will have an All-Star argument if he keeps performing at the level he has so far this season. But let's not act as if Larkin was a centerpiece in that trade. He was a throw-in.
Antetokounmpo would have been a foundation piece for the Mavs' future, something Dallas hasn't found in the draft in more than a decade.
What's going on?
