The Stack Chip For Marion? DB.com's Trade Proposal Becomes Mavs/Raptors Negotiation Reality

    The Mavericks and the Raptors, Stein writes while citing sources, are discussing a Sign-and-Trade that would bring Marion to Dallas.

    The report says no deal is “imminent’’ as of Monday night, and hey, we can’t guarantee it gets done. We can only say that when word not is that “Dallas has emerged as perhaps the best option for Marion,’’ that’s something Lord saw a day ahead of everyone else.

   When the word is that “a third team might need to be involved,’’ well, we wrote that, too.

   Other points we made that are about to come to fruition:

    Without a sign-and-trade, Marion's options for landing a contract that starts above the projected mid-level exception of $5.8 million next season would appear to be exhausted, with neither Portland nor Oklahoma City -- teams that still have cap space to burn -- expected to make him an offer. do some more spit-ball

   *In Toronto, the paper mentions that the Raptors are trying to facilitate a deal to pacify Shawn Marion. It very specifically tosses the name of Kris Humphries into the conversation. But what sense does that make? How does a nobody like Humphries help a somebody like Marion end up helping anybody like the Mavs?

    *Keep in mind that Colangelo has a history with Marion going all the way back to the salad days in Phoenix, so his desire to see him get a better contract in a lousy market is probably real. And Colangelo certainly would rather get something of value for Marion rather than see him walk.

   *Why did we know this was noteworthy to Mavs fans? Because by trading Humphries for a pick, it opens the door for a Stackhouse-for-Marion swap as a most viable option for Marion to get a good contract.

   *Here's how we said it would work: Before signing Hedo Turkoglu, Toronto trades Humphries for a pick to a team under the cap or with a small trade exception and takes back zero dollars. That opens up an added $2.9M of cap room for them.

   That amount of space allows them to then swap Marion in a sign-and-trade (for a healthy salary) to Dallas for Stackhouse plus $2M-plus-Something (a pick, some more cash, a desirable minimum salary player, or a combo), then waive Stack for the $2M, and still have all the cap room they need to sign Hedo. Marion gets his money, Toronto nets Something, and Dallas gets Marion. Everyone comes out ahead.

   *That wouldn't be the only choice for Toronto, of course. Once they open up that cap space, they could simply sign another player for that $2.9M or less. But if Colangelo is angling for a deal using Marion, other teams over the cap besides Dallas will have to send him equal salary in return - and that won't work for the Raps because it would mess up the Turkoglu deal.

    Getting Stackhouse wouldn't mess up anything.

   Because of all of that, we were able to logic-out the inevitability of Mavs-Raptors talks here. It simply fit.

    We stressed this early Monday, before Marc’s report, and we stress it again: Dallas doesn't have to be the actual destination for Marion. The Stack Chip could simply be the facilitator for Marion to land in a place that wants him badly, and is willing to send plenty of compensation (a shot-creating wing, for example?) to Dallas as well as Something to Toronto in order to get him.

   David Lord wrote on Monday morning that Marion-for-The Stack Chip was “a deal well worth chasing.’’

    And a few hours later, what do you know? The Mavs and the Raptors are chasing it.

    PS: So, do the Mavs think Shawn Marion fits as a piece that will stay with Dallas? Stick with us. … we’re trying to stay ahead of the pack on that one, too.