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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