Amateur GM: Buck For K. Thomas? It's A Something-For-Nothing Win-Win Idea For Dallas

    There is nothing provocative about what Milwaukee’s Kurt Thomas does. Give him 17 minutes a game, as the Spurs did for the last two seasons, and he gives you a serviceable banger at center good for five points and five rebounds a game.

     *We know the Mavs are discussing the idea of sending Greg Buckner’s vanishing contract to Milwaukee.

     *Logic dictates that Thomas would be among the targets. He is not sexy, but he can play center and he makes just $3.8 mil and his contract is itself expiring.

      *Let’s not jumble this up by speculating that there are scads of other bodies involved in the swap. There is no reason, for instance, to “throw in’’ JJ Barea in order to receive players in return who are inferior to JJB in talent, fit and contract attractiveness.

      *Meanwhile, the "is that all there is?'' response is understandable. That's the same response the Mavs got when they acquired role player Quinton Ross, the same response when they acquired role player Drew Gooden ... deals like these are not provocative or sexy or "home runs.'' They are singles or doubles or maybe even hit-by-pitches.

     I'm not buying season tickets because of the possibility of Kurt Thomas playing 17 minutes a game in Dallas; at the same time, I cannot scoff at the fact that he's spent the last two seasons doing just that for the always-contending Spurs.

      *The real motivation for such a deal from the Mavs’ side is obvious: Dallas gets something for nothing.

     The real motivation for such a deal from the Bucks’ side? It’s slightly more complex ...and this is where a “have’’ can take advantage of a “have-not’’:

     If Milwaukee trades Thomas, they drop around $1.5 mil below the cap.

     If they trade him for “The Buck Shot’’ and then release Buckner, they drop around $3 mil more below the cap.

     If Milwaukee can slip that far below the cap, they can re-involve themselves in the retention of Ramon Sessions, their restricted FA who has signed an offer sheet with Minnesota. They can afford to keep Sessions to do with what they wish -- but they would have to make their decision to retain Sessions by Friday, meaning they'd have to complete this room-creating deal before that time.

     So in such a deal, the Mavs get a serviceable body at center with a cheap-and-expiring contract, and they acquire that asset for nothing. Meanwhile, the Bucks get the cap room to allow them to keep their hands on Sessions … and all they did to do so was to dump Kurt Thomas.

     It’s a win-win … but for the Mavs, it’s a win that costs them nothing.