In this episode we are thrilled to be joined by NBA salary cap expert analyst Yossi Gozlan, making his third appearance on our podcast.

Today we focus on the Mavericks’ salary cap situation going into this pivotal summer where they will draft Cooper Flagg #1 overall and pivot their team building around him.

Yossi tells us that the Mavericks will enter this summer slightly over the 2nd apron of $207.8 million, and will probably be looking to shed some salary so they can get under that figure. They may even try to dump further money so that they can get under the 1st apron threshold of $195.9 million. In all likelihood, they will at least be over the luxury tax threshold of $187.8 million, limiting their player acquisition avenues to the taxpayer mid-level exception, and trades. In order to gain access to the full mid-level exception, the Mavericks would have to shed enough salary to get under that luxury tax threshold, which may be difficult to do with only one team (Brooklyn Nets) possessing cap space to potentially take on contracts in a salary dump.

We then discuss with Yossi whether it makes sense for the Mavs to prioritize their future with Flagg by trading Anthony Davis while his value is still high. We are all in agreement that while that is the wise decision, we do not trust Mavs general manager Nico Harrison to do it. With that in mind, Yossi walks us through avenues the Mavs can move around players on their roster to address their biggest needs this summer, namely a point guard. Yossi also tells us that while the penalties of the NBA’s “Apron era” can be harsh, there are still avenues for teams to avoid the worst effects of it, specifically frozen draft picks.

Finally, with Yossi being a Los Angeles resident, we get his perspective on how the vibe in the city has changed since the Lakers traded for Luka Dončić. He talks about how Luka reminds a lot of Lakers fans of certain Laker legends such as Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson. While we all lament the deal, we try to look forward to the new era the Mavs will be entering with Cooper Flagg.

You can follow Yossi on X/Twitter @YossiGozlan. You can also check out and subcribe to his newsletter, Third Apron . Subscribe to his YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@YossiGozlanNBA.

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