Varejao Talk? 'Lost In Translation,' Says Donnie

BREAKING: Mavs Boss Nelson Issues Strong Denial To DB.com

Mike Fisher -- DB.com

   Maybe Cavs big man Anderson Varejao is under the wrong impression. Or maybe it’s a Brazilian media outlet’s error. Or maybe it’s a fanciful internet joke. But there is a story making the rounds that suggests Dallas has already officially started its pursuit of Varejao. …

   “And something has obviously been lost in translation,’’ Mavs president Donnie Nelson tells DallasBasketball.com, issuing a strong denial of what he calls "a silly rumor.''

   UPDATE from Cleveland. ...

   The question, loosely translated: “I would like to know if these trade rumors are true? Are you going to the Mavericks?’’

   Anderson Varejao’s as-quoted answer: “I've had two conversations with Mark Cuban this month and he offered me a three-year deal worth $11 million, but I told him that I would like to stay in Cleveland, unless they do not decide to renew my contract in which case I could evaluate Dallas’ deal.’’

  Conversations? That’s conceivable. Specifics? Inconceivable. 

   “I first heard about all of this (on Thursday), and all of it is ridiculous,’’ Donnie tells DB.com. “I cannot and will not comment on any player in this circumstance. Nor would anyone in our organization do so. I can only say that any such conversation like that with a player would get a team in trouble. There is no sense to it. There is no motivation to do it. It didn’t happen.’’

   That doesn’t mean, however, that Varejao wouldn’t be a solid addition looking for an energetic big man. Varejao has been a part-time starter in Cleveland and an important rotation player and is coming off his best season, in which he put up career-bests in points (8.6) and field goal percentage (.536). While not a shot-blocker, he is an active defensive presence, he’s capable of pulling down eight rebounds a game in just 28 minutes per, he's a scrappy fan favorite and he’s only 26 years old. 

   So on July 1, Anderson Varejao will get a lot of calls. Maybe even one from Dallas.

   But not until then.

   And that UPDATE: The fine Cavs beat writer Brian Windhorst follows up our story by adding that according to his digging, Cuban and Varejao have never had a one-on-one conversation of any sort, and that Varejao is denying making any such comments to the website.