By Mike Fisher -- DallasBasketball.com
Did the Mavs take a big swing at acquiring Rasheed Wallace from Atlanta?
No, it was more like a bunt. But to their credit, they did spend some time in the trade-deadline batter’s box.
Excuse all the baseball analogies; I’m so excited about another Rangers’ three-year building project that I’m oozing horsehide. But yes, we get all good news from our sources on the Mavs’ pursuit of the troubled-but-talented Wallace.
Did Dallas come close to picking up Wallace?
“Not even close,’ Mavs owner Mark Cuban tells DallasBasketball.com. “Atlanta only wanted last-year (contract) guys and draft picks. We had neither to give.’’
Good news No. 1: The Mavs did ‘do their homework,’ as club executive Keith Grant put it, regarding a potential deal with the Hawks.
Good news No. 2: The Mavs decided the whole thing wasn’t quite the right fit.
Said one Mavs source, echoing Cuban’s words: ‘We talked, but Atlanta wanted either young players or final-year (of-contract) players. We need our young players, and we don’t have anything else.’’
We keep hearing from Atlanta voices that there was an Antoine Walker-and-Tony Delk-for Rasheed concept mentioned. (Operative word: ‘Mentioned,’ as opposed to “offered.’’) But while Walker does have an opt-out after this season, he’s unlikely to leave about $14 mil on the table, so he doesn’t work for Atlanta. And Delk doesn’t qualify as a young player.
Dallas’ inactivity in general speaks volumes about what management believes this team is still capable of. And, almost as notable, Dallas’ disinterest in Atlanta’s wishes speaks volumes about what management thinks of rookies Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels.
The way the Wallace deal finally went down at Thursday’s deadline: The Pistons sent center Zeljko Rebraca, guard Bob Sura and a first-round draft pick to the Hawks. That pick will come from Milwaukee this year if the Bucks make the playoffs. Detroit also sent guards Lindsey Hunter and Chucky Atkins and its first-round pick this year to Boston, while the Celtics shipped Chris Mills to the Hawks. And, the Pistons received guard Mike James from the Celtics.
The deal got convoluted as Atlanta sought to take on soon-to-expire contracts. That’s one place where the Mavs couldn’t help. Meanwhile, Detroit needed to dump Chucky Atkins, and couldn’t get the Hawks to play along. Thus Boston’s involvement – and thus Detroit’s having to forfeit a total of two No. 1 picks to be in the deal.
The pitfalls of having Wallace (seemingly going through the motions this year with 17 points and 6.6 rebounds per, numbers mostly gained while with Portland) on a team have been discussed here at length. There is the belief in Detroit that surrounded by workhorses like Ben Wallace, Rasheed will follow suit. Some members of the Mavs braintrust thought the same might happen in Dallas. But we’ve always had a hard time picturing Rasheed being the follower to, say, Dirk’s lead.
Wallace is in the final year of his $17 mil deal. So maybe the Mavs’ interest in him isn’t done. Maybe this summer – after this present group of Mavs is given a chance to prosper and right in the middle of baseball season – Dallas will get another at-bat.