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JAN 23 LAKERS TRADING FOR HACHIMURA
Just a few hours after the Dallas Mavericks were linked to the Washington Wizards in regards to trade interest in Rui Hachimura, it appears that the versatile big man is on his way to Hollywood.
According to multiple reports, the Los Angeles Lakers are in the final stages of adding Hachimura via trade from the Wizards. The reported trade package from L.A. will be Kendrick Nunn and three second-round picks.
The Wizards and Hachimura were unable to workout a rookie contract extension, and therefore, it was time to find him a new home. The deal is expected to be completed later on Monday.
JAN 21 SHANNON SHARPE AND LAKERS FIGHT? Fox Sports has a reputation for staged on-air fights between its blowhard personalities.
But this looked pretty sincere.
Fox host and NFL legend Shannon Sharpe had to be separated from Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant’s father, Tee, at halftime of a game between Memphis and the Lakers on Friday … a confrontation that caused the two to eventually be broken up by security.
Assorted Grizzlies got involved in the conflict with Sharpe, who was sitting courtside and, he admitted, talking trash to the Grizzlies regarding LeBron James.
“They didn’t want this smoke,” Sharpe told ESPN after the incident. “They do all that talking and jockeying and I ain’t about the jockeying. It started with Dillon Brooks. I said he was too small to guard LeBron. He said ‘F–k’ me I said, ‘F–k’ you back. He started to come at me and I said, ‘You don’t want these problems.’
“And then Ja came out of nowhere talking. He definitely didn’t want these problems. Then the dad came and he obviously didn’t want no problems. But I wanted anything they had. Don’t let these fools fool you now.”
Sharpe and Tee Morant eventually exchanged a hug at the end of the third quarter. Oh, and the Lakers won, 122-121.
But this is Hollywood. Who cares about that?
JAN 19 Why a Mavs trade for Russell Westbrook makes sense…
The Dallas Mavericks are slumping hard, to put it nicely. After Wednesday’s home loss to the Atlanta Hawks, Dallas has dropped four of its last five games and has given up at least 130 points over its current three-game losing streak.
If the Western Conference wasn’t such a mess this season, the Mavs would be in bigger trouble than they are. However, even though Dallas is barely hangin onto the fifth seed in the West despite all the recent losing, changes are still needed.
The Mavs have been linked to many names on the trade market as the Feb. 9 deadline nears, but could a deal for Los Angeles Lakers’ Russell Westbrook make the most sense?
It’s been well-documented that Jeanie Buss isn’t a fan of trading future draft picks to improve this current version of the Lakers, who currently sit outside the play-in tournament range in the West with a 20-25 record. However, if Buss would be willing to part with just one of the Lakers’ future picks, they could potentially improve their roster now.
For the Mavericks’ side, adding Westbrook might not affect winning or losing either way, but they do still need a true third ball-handler to go alongside Luka Doncic and Spencer Dinwiddie. With that in mind, here’s the trade proposal we have in mind:
Mavs receive: Russell Westbrook, 2027 first-round pick
Lakers receive: Tim Hardaway Jr., Reggie Bullock, Davis Bertans
This trade could potentially make the Mavs worse for the short-term future, but there’s also a chance that it opens up more lucrative trade opportunities going forward. They’d just have to stomach taking a step back this season. In a year where a near-.500 record is good enough to land you in the West’s top-five teams, that might be easier said than done, though.
JAN 18 Doncic wants change? Does potential Knicks trade move the needle?
Ahead of the Dallas Mavericks’ nationally televised meeting with the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night, there were a couple of interesting tidbits that came up in the NBA trade rumor mill. The first interesting information came from ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who is reporting that Mavs star Luka Doncic is finally starting to make his want for roster change known to the front office.
Sources said Doncic, who hasn’t shown a desire to be involved in personnel matters in the past, has strongly indicated he wants the Mavs to upgrade before the Feb. 9 trade deadline.
Mavs owner Mark Cuban might think it’s disrespectful for the fan base to constantly suggest that Doncic needs more help, but this latest report seems to indicate that Doncic is on the same wavelength as the fans … and anyone else with eyes who have watched the Mavs play when Doncic rests.
Elsewhere, Marc Stein is reporting that the Mavs have joined a small list of teams who are considered to be trade suitors for New York Knicks forward Cam Reddish.
The Knicks have redoubled their efforts to find a new home for Reddish with essentially three weeks to go until the deadline, sources tell The Stein Line, with the Dallas Mavericks having joined the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers on the list of known potential trade partners.
Sources say that the Knicks, though, are angling for Dallas to send Thibodeau favorite Reggie Bullock to New York in a Reddish deal, who is likewise held in high regard by the Mavericks.
Given that 1) Bullock has had a career-worst season so far, and 2) the Mavs could use an influx of young talent with upside, it would make sense for Dallas and New York to execute a trade involving those two players – especially since the Knicks have eyes for Bullock that other teams probably don’t.
That kind of trade could be a step in the right direction for Dallas, but it likely wouldn’t be roster upgrade Doncic has in mind. We’ll see if the Mavs’ front office can pull off a big trade in the coming days and weeks to satisfy what its superstar desires.
JAN 17 Clippers want Mike Conley? Jazz have other trade ideas?
Ahead of the NBA’s Feb. 9 trade deadline, it appears that the Utah Jazz are being active after tumbling from the top of the Western Conference standings to the play-in tournament range. According to Marc Stein, the Los Angeles Clippers have interest in taking veteran point guard Mike Conley before the deadline, if possible.
The Clippers, league sources say, are exploring trade options to fortify their frontcourt beyond Ivica Zubac, but that’s not all. Sources say they also have trade interest in Utah’s Mike Conley Jr. amid a rising belief leaguewide that the Jazz — who have tumbled to No. 9 in the West at 22-24 after their great start — could become a much-needed seller at this deadline. The Clippers’ backcourt depth just took a hit with the news that John Wall is out for at least two weeks with an abdominal strain.
Aside from the Conley rumbles, the Jazz appear to be active elsewhere, as they’re apparently trying to find a way to land Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins in what could potentially be a three-team trade between Utah, Atlanta and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Stein explains:
As part of the Cavaliers’ ongoing search for wing upgrades, league sources say, they have weighed pursuing a three-way trade scenario that would land Atlanta’s John Collins with the Jazz and bring Utah’s Malik Beasley to Cleveland. The Jazz have well-chronicled interest in Collins but, to this point, have given the Hawks pause by seeking additional draft compensation for taking on Collins, who still has three seasons left on his five-year, $125 million contract after this one. Caris LeVert’s $18.8 million expiring contract is the Cavaliers’ most obvious trade chip.
The Dallas Mavericks have been connected to the Cavs recently in trade rumors regarding Tim Hardaway Jr. Only time will tell if that kind of deal will materialize, or if Cleveland finds a way to add a younger wing upgrade on a better contract instead.
JAN 15 LaVine is trade eligible; Could Mavs and Bulls make a deal?
As of today, Jan. 15, Chicago Bulls star shooting guard Zach LaVine is now eligible to be traded. The Bulls haven’t yet made it known if they’re open to trading LaVine or not, but there’s been enough smoke this season to the point where we wouldn’t be shocked if he’s wearing a different jersey by the NBA’s Feb. 9 trade deadline.
Some of that smoke has involved the Dallas Mavericks, who desperately want to get superstar Luka Doncic more help as they try to build a championship-contending roster around him. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon during an episode of the Lowe Post podcast, there are people within the Mavs’ front office who are fans of LaVine’s game.
“I just know that there are fans of him that hold prominent positions within the Mavericks,” said MacMahon. “Again, I’m not sitting here and telling you there’s some great consensus. I think there’s enough fans of him where I wouldn’t totally rule it out.”
As long as Mavs 3-and-D wings Josh Green and Dorian Finney-Smith have been out, one might entertain the theory that Dallas has been extra cautious with them with potential trades on the table. That’s not to say Green and Finney-Smith haven’t truly been hurt this whole time, but why rush them back if they could be key pieces to a blockbuster trade?
Despite averaging 23.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists on 46.4/39.2 shooting splits, LaVine and the Bulls have struggled to stay in the NBA’s play-in tournament range. They’re currently 19-24 on the season and have lost three consecutive games. It might be time for Chicago to blow things up, and the Mavs will surely be listening when and if that time comes.
JAN 14 Could Mavs get D-Rose?
Ever since losing Jalen Brunson to the New York Knicks last summer, the Dallas Mavericks have failed to add a third ball-handler capable of filling some of the void that was created by his departure. However, with the Feb. 9 trade deadline looming, could Dallas finally address that need by dealing for one of Brunson’s Knicks teammates?
According to a report from NBA reporter Marc Stein, the Knicks are apparently willing to ‘do right’ by 15-year veteran and former MVP Derrick Rose before the deadline.
Sources say that New York is open to finding a new home via trade for former MVP Derrick Rose but only if it can, as one insider put it, “do right by” the longtime Thibodeau favorite. Rose’s role has been reduced sharply this season with the likes of Quickley, Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride emerging.
In theory, one way for the Knicks to do Rose a solid would be to send him to the Mavs, where he would have a larger role on a team completing for home-court advantage in the Western Conference. Given that New York has fond memories of Reggie Bullock, a straight-up swap for Rose would make sense for both sides.
It remains to be seen if the Knicks’ willingness to do Rose a favor would trump any hard feelings they might have toward the Mavs after last summer’s drama … but it’s something we’ll be keeping an eye on.
JAN 13 Collins price lowered; Mavs-Knicks trade idea
Earlier this week, one report stated that the Atlanta Hawks were looking to get a return similar to what the Utah Jazz got for Rudy Gobert last summer when it comes to potentially trading John Collins. According to a report from USA Today on Friday, that might not be the case after all.
The Hawks are willing to move forward John Collins for a shooting big, which is … what Collins is. Or used to be. Collins shot 40.1% on 3-pointers in 2019-20, 39.9% the following season and 36.4% last season. But he’s just at 22.9% this season.
There is a market for Collins, and that includes Utah, Brooklyn and Dallas.
If the Dallas Mavericks can’t come to terms on a contract extension with versatile big man Christian Wood before the Feb. 9 trade deadline, perhaps making a play for Collins would make some sense.
Or … if the Mavs could find a way to add Collins and another piece from Atlanta — like Bogdan Bogdanovic — without giving up Wood, that would be even more ideal.
Meanwhile, the reported trade price for New York Knicks forward Cam Reddish is apparently two second-round picks. A straight-up trade for Mavs forward Reggie Bullock would work financially, and that might actually be a deal the Knicks would be interested in doing given coach Tom Thibodeau’s admiration for Bullock.
JAN 12 No Mavs interest in Myles Turner?
Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner has been in trade rumors for several years now, but he has yet to be shipped out of the Hoosier State.
The Dallas native has been linked to the Mavericks in the past but no deal ever surfaced to land him on his hometown team.
In a report on Thursday from Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports, the Mavericks’ interest in Turner has apparently ‘dissipated’.
“The trade chatter surrounding Turner has indeed seemed to cool. For years, the Hornets presented a likely landing spot. But now, Charlotte does not appear very keen on upgrading its roster ahead of the deadline. The interest from Dallas and New Orleans in recent seasons has also dissipated, sources said,” Fischer wrote.
With Dallas’ focus more set on another star or more quality playmakers to place alongside Luka Doncic, the desire for Turner, who is on an expiring contract, makes sense, but it doesn’t mean he couldn’t end up back in the DFW in the future.
JAN 11 Tim Hardaway Jr. to Miami Heat?
The Tim Hardaway Jr. rumors continue to stack up with the Feb. 9 trade deadline looming. Today, the latest rumor involving the Dallas Mavericks’ veteran shooting guard links him to the Miami Heat.
“According to multiple sources, the Miami Heat & Dallas Mavericks have had initial conversations on a deal involving Tim Hardaway Jr.,” The Basement Sports’ Adam Borai tweeted.
“This isn’t the first time Hardaway Jr has been linked to Miami. He’s definitely a name to watch as the deadline approaches.”
Borai also mentions that Miami has eyes for Mavs players like Reggie Bullock and Dorian Finney-Smith. Given that the Mavs were runners up to Kyle Lowry in 2021 free agency, we could see them potentially trying to work out a deal to obtain him now despite his down season with Miami.
However, this all could just be posturing and a leverage attempt in talks the Mavs have had with other teams involving Hardaway. As is the case with many rumors during trade season, they need to be taken with a grain of salt.
JAN 10 Hawks’ Steep Collins Price; Lakers as Wood Suitor?
According to one report, the Hawks’ asking price for John Collins might be in the “Rudy Gobert or Donovan Mitchell range” from last summer.
We discussed the idea of the Mavs pursuing Collins if they can’t reach a contract extension agreement with Christian Wood before the trade deadline, but if that’s truly the Hawk’s asking price, it’s safe to say that you can count Dallas out there.
Speaking of Wood’s contract extension, if an agreement can’t be made, could the Lakers be a trade option for him? Sports Illustrated’s Howard Beck offers his thoughts here.
JAN 10 Mavs Interested in Knicks’ Quickley?
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto dropped another Mavs trade rumor tidbit on Tuesday, as he linked Dallas to New York Knicks’ Immanuel Quickley.
“Another Knicks player whose name has circulated in the rumor mill this season is Immanuel Quickley. Several teams, including the Bucks, Mavericks, Wizards, and others, have expressed interest in Quickley, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote.
JAN 9 Mavs 3-Team Trade Idea … Could It Work?
Last week, Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Fischer reported that the Mavs, among other teams, were in pursuit of Pistons’ veteran Bojan Bogdanovic.
“At this juncture, the Pistons are seeking at least one first-rounder and either a young player with upside or additional draft capital, sources said, plus Cleveland has company in Dallas, Phoenix and the Lakers, among other teams in pursuit of Bogdanovic,” Fischer wrote.
Pairing this report with what we think we know about Tim Hardaway Jr.’s availability and the Cavs’ interest in him, we constructed a hypothetical 3-team trade that could potentially work for all teams involved.
Mavs receive: Bojan Bogdanovic
Cavs receive: Tim Hardaway Jr.
Pistons receive: Caris LeVert, Frank Ntilikina, two second-round picks
JAN 8 Mavs’ Hardaway is Available; Cavs Pursuing?
We now have multiple reports linking Mavs veteran Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Cavs. The first was a report from Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor. The latest was from Marc Stein, who confirmed Fedor’s report and offered an idea of what a potential Mavs-Cavs trade could look like.
“League sources have reaffirmed to me that Hardaway is indeed available and that it’s essentially up to the Cavaliers if they are prepared to take on the two years and $34.1 million left on Hardaway’s contract beyond this season,” Stein wrote in his newsletter.
“Caris LeVert’s expiring $18.8 million contract is the simplest match for Hardaway, who has emerged from a very slow start to shoot 40.5% from 3-point range in 21 games entering Sunday’s play since Mavericks coach Jason Kidd moved him into the starting lineup.”
JAN 5 Mavs Pegged as Potential Zach LaVine Suitor
We already knew the Mavs had interest in Bulls star Zach LaVine in the offseason when NBA reporter Marc Stein wrote that Dallas was considering making a sign-and-trade offer before he signed his new deal with Chicago.
Now, according to a report from HoopsHype, it looks like the Mavs could be a player for him at the trade deadline.
“If the Chicago Bulls make Zach LaVine available before the trade deadline, rival executives are keeping an eye on several teams who could have interest in trading for him, including the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and Miami Heat,” Michael Scotto wrote.
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