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Losing 35-year-old free agent turns out to be addition by subtraction for Mavericks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Free agency is not just about who you sign. Sometimes it is about who you let walk away. For the Dallas Mavericks, letting Khris Middleton leave did more for the roster than keeping him would have -- proving to be a textbook case of addition by subtraction.
Middleton agreed to a three-year, $17.6 million contract with the Washington Wizards. By executing this as a sign-and-trade, Dallas brought back actual assets instead of losing him for nothing in free agency.
Dallas originally acquired Middleton at the February trade deadline in the Anthony Davis deal. He gave the Mavericks a reliable veteran presence for the rest of the season, averaging 10.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists over 63 total games split between Washington and Dallas.
However, Middleton turns 35 next month. He does not fit the timeline or the salary structure of a Dallas team building around its core pieces. The trade ends his short time in Texas and sends the veteran back to a familiar role in Washington.
However, Middleton turns 35 next month. He does not fit the timeline or the salary structure of a Dallas team building around its core pieces. The trade ends his short time in Texas and sends the veteran back to a familiar role in Washington.
Dallas did not just let Middleton walk away for nothing. Instead, they worked out a sign-and-trade that helped both teams. According to Sam Quinn of CBS Sports, the math was complicated, but the structure allowed the Wizards to absorb Middleton’s contract using an expiring trade exception, preserving their full mid-level exception for future roster moves
For Dallas, jumping into this massive six-team deal brought back Santi Aldama, Marcus Sasser, and Tarik Biberovic. These three young players fit the Mavs’ current timeline far better than the 35-year-old veteran.
Quinn noted that teams go through the hassle of coordinating six-team deals because even tiny salary cap advantages matter. As he put it, "NBA teams employ cap strategists for precisely this reason."
By turning an expiring veteran into three young assets, Dallas got exactly what they needed heading into new season: depth and flexibility.
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