Donnie On Trade Talk: Mavs Are 'Busy And Looking'

  The Mavs have engaged in “casual’’ conversations involving the Clippers’ Chris Kaman, the Bobcats’ Gerald Wallace, the Knicks’ Stephon Marbury, their own Jerry Stackhouse and many others, NBA sources tell DallasBasketball.com. Additionally, and on the record, Mavs GM Donnie Nelson doesn’t deny such activity, telling DB.com that “we’ve been busy in talking to everybody, looking at everything, trying to stay on top of any opportunity.’’

  There it is. On the record. The Mavs – hoping to bust away from their 3-7 start -- are “busy,’’ “looking’’ and “trying’’ on the trade market. Officially.

   A bushel of assorted thoughts, after a few days of poking and prodding at those in the know, on the Mavs’ personnel pursuits:

  ‘JOSH IS BETTER THAN WALLACE’: There is nothing imminent here with Kaman or Wallace. One source told me not to even “bother chasing’’ the Kaman and Wallace angles. Why not on Charlotte power forward Wallace?

  One Eastern Conference source tells me that Charlotte wishes they could employ a “true center’’ and play Okafor more at the 4; that explains their willingness to move Wallace.

  Meanwhile, I feel pretty comfortable in saying that while Dallas likes Wallace, they DO NOT view him as being a player on the level of Josh Howard. So that’s the end of a blockbuster name-player-for-name-player deal there.

  Now, keep in mind that Charlotte had offseason love of ‘Gana Diop. And that Charlotte still wants a true center. And throw in this observation from a Mavs-watching scout: “Diop has regressed since his first year in Dallas. They can’t even get him to be assertive enough to dunk.’’

  All in all, it would take Diop plus a lot to approach Wallace.

  Consider this a sidebar of intrigue for Tuesday's Mavs-at-Bobcats matchup.

  ‘THE CLIPS DON’T WANT TO TRADE KAMAN’: Why shouldn’t I pursue the Kaman angle? I’m not certain. The center doesn’t fit into LAC owner Donald Sterling’s tiny wallet. He’s friends with Dirk Nowitzki. He offers a different dimension at the position than do offensively-handicapped Dallas bigs Damp and Diop.

  My assumption is that LAC’s asking price is steep, that it includes either picks (which Dallas doesn’t have) or J-Ho (though I can argue that LAC already has its future Josh-like pieces). The Mavs continue to view Howard as a foundation piece, and – at the risk of “We-Love-Our-Team’’ Disease -- that is a justifiable notion.

  But isn’t the old rule of NBA GM’ing that you should always be willing to give up a good medium-sized guy in exchange for a good large-size guy?

  All of that, by the way, is assuming LAC really wants to move Kaman. The coach, Mike Dunleavy, is now running that whole show (at least until Sterling peers into the cigar box he stashes under his mattress). Logic says the coach would rather not dump a reliably talented big.

  One source tells me: “They’ve got twin towers in Kaman and Camby. Those two guys together give them something pretty special.’’

  ‘DONNIE LOVES THE THREE-WAY’: One long-time NBA exec tells me in admiring tones that “Donnie is always trying to come up with trades. One of his favorite things is to create three-way and four-way deals. It might not go through because in many ways he’s just trying to trade other teams’ players (to each other). But he deserves credit for creativity. I have no doubt he’s being creative right now.’’

   Based on the reliability of his voice, I have no doubt, either.

  ‘NOBODY DOESN’T LIKE JJB? WHY?’: The Mavs continue to stubbornly insist that JJB is a viable backup point guard. I continue to stubbornly insist that Memphis, Charlotte, Utah and Atlanta all have spare PGs who would help here. Atkins.  … Crittenton. … Earl Watson. … The disagreeable Tinsley. … something!

   Oh, and I hear that Keith McLeod stubbornly insists on hanging around Dallas. Just in case the phone rings.

  ‘WHO WOULD BE THAT ‘LOCKER-ROOM YELPER’’?: In the first week of November, Randy Galloway wrote a column using phrases like “private yelping from within the locker room’’ and “that can lead to bigger internal issues.’’

   Now, let’s do some deductive reasoning here. Who wasn’t getting burn at that time? Which Mav dares thinks he has the right to “yelp’’? Which player, if disgruntled, would dare cause “bigger internal issues’’?

  Donnie Nelson, talking to me last week on a related subject: “Every guy in our locker room wants to play 48 minutes. Maybe some of the young guys need to continue to learn to be professional. Maybe there are veteran guys who need to get comfortable in their roles. …’’

  ‘WAIT. … WHAT?’: Wait. … what?

  Donnie wouldn’t be any more specific. So I was left to come to my own conclusions. And in one case, a conclusion that is out in the open now.

  “Young guys’’ who need to get their heads screwed on tighter? Green? His potential provides Dallas a rare so-far bright spot. And we hop Carlisle’s back-and-forthing with his minutes might be a motivational carrot-on-a-stick thing trying to nurse Green along. Bass? Talk about back-and-forthing with minutes! A month ago, he was being praised for being the hardest worker in camp, being talked about as capable of playing the 3, the 4 and the 5. And suddenly (pre-New York), he barely plays the 4. Diop or Wright, maybe? ‘Gana has a certain “silliness’’ about him, but that ain’t changing. Wright seems like an intelligent guy and a good soldier.

   That “young guy’’ part is a puzzler to me.

  “Old guys’’ with ruffled feathers? I didn’t find that too puzzling 10 days ago, three days ago or now.

   Let’s try Jerry Stackhouse, phased out last weekend, elevated to Kobe-stopper on Tuesday, re-phased out Sunday in NY and a proud old horse who remembers well his 30-ppg days of yore.

   Jerry now says he is "exploring options.'' Unfortunately, his exploration will reveal too few of them. 

  ‘DALLAS CAN’T AFFORD TO ‘NEED’ EVERYBODY: Speaking of Stack: The DMNews’ hard-working Tim MacMahon reflects on Stack’s good anti-Lakers effort (the nice D, plus 17 points) by saying, “The Mavs need Stack's mental toughness and tenacity. He fills a major need on this roster as long as he can play at a high level in spurts.’’

   “The Mavs need Stack because he fills a need.’’

   I understand Tim’s point. But using that same logic. …

   The Mavs need their MVP. They need their two All-Stars. They need their unique combination of two centers. They need promising young guys like Green, Bass and Wright. They need Jet’s scoring. They need Devean’s defense.

   So, since they “need’’ everybody they’ve got, who does that leave to trade? Listen. ... Here's a Stack Fact: in 10 games, Jerry's given this team ONE really good quarter. ONE.

   "Need''?

   It’s “We Love Our Team’’ and “Best Roster Ever’’ – two catchphrases that I helped create and that I am about ready to mock -- all over again.

   ‘BEFORE, THEY DIDN’T WANT TO ROLL THE CHEMISTRY DICE – AND NOW THERE’S STEPH?’: Stephon Marbury? Cuban likes him personally. Likes his shoes, too.

   “I am a Stephon Marbury fan,’’ Tony Cubes says.

   But professionally? We’ve already got a problem with old guys and their ruffled feathers. Why take on another one – especially when his feathers might all be plucked up?

   Cuban is on the record as saying he would “consider every option’’ regarding acquiring Marbury after he is bought out by NY.

   Me? I have a rule to stay as far away as possible from men who get their personal logo tattooed on their heads.

   The Mavs have a fine track record with “bad-boy’’ reclamation projects.

   Says Cuban: “We have an organization that … we think has baby-sitting skills … different ages, different maturity levels, different skill sets - you've got to put the organization around them and hopefully, it puts them in a position to succeed. Some guys are higher-profile than others, and unless we think it's going to be a negative, we're willing to take a chance."

   But none of them had head tattoos featuring their personal logo!

   For certain, Dallas is in the process of evaluating whether Marbury qualifies as a “negative.’’

   I would tend to be scared off by the head tat. And all the rest of the baggage. If my recommendation isn’t good enough, maybe Dallas should follow the lead of the Spurs here. From what I understand, SA – even with Parker and Manu erased from their backcourt – wants no part of Starbury.

   However, I recognize that you would be trying to catch more bottle lightning here, that I’m the one that keeps stumping for a backup-PG, that the risk/reward is low (unless Steph causes the locker room to implode) and that this could be a Nick Van Exel II setup.

   I don’t love any of it. But I recognize it.   

   If Marbury ends up here, it says one thing for certain: A franchise that this summer believed Ron Artest was an unnecessary character risk is now. ... well, is now 3-7, that's what they are. In the summer, they were the guy in the bar looking to meet a beautiful girl. At 3-7, it's 1:59 a.m. and that person with the head tat is looking pretty good.

    ‘WHY I SUDDENLY AM FORCED TO LIKE WALLY ZOOLANDER’: I’ve never been a fan. One-dimensional perimeter guy, streaky jump-shooter, pretty boy. At this moment, though, for any of us who have always loved Jason Terry and disliked Wally. … isn’t Zoolander pretty much a taller Jet?

   And oh by the way: Zoolander comes with a $1-mil expiring.

   I always knew there was something I was gonna like about that guy.

   ‘DIDN’T I ALREADY SHUT DOWN HARRINGTON TALK?’: Al Harrington? I’ve already covered this. As I wrote last week, the Mavs do not have a high opinion of the Warriors goofball. Nor, I just found out, does one Eastern team who would be in the market for his talent “if he didn’t have such a high opinion of himself,’’ that team’s representative tells me. “(Harrington) is the kind of guy who thinks he’s got to be the top guy on the team in minutes and in points. Until he changes that, I think he’s stuck (in Golden State).’’

  Now, many reports have Golden State throwing around Marco Belinelli’s name in trade. I do remember, in Summer League, Mavs brass thinking that kid had something special in terms of upside.

    ‘NO THANKS TO MORE ONE-DIMENSIONAL OLDS’: What about the veteran FA’s who are on the street, like Bonzi Wells or Robert Horry? Bonzi is another guy who Cuban at least gets a kick out of personally; I find him to be a cheap-shotting clown who isn’t getting any calls from NBA teams – for a reason. Horry? The Mavs liked him a couple of years ago, when they felt like they were one spare-part shooter away. But an aging one-dimensional jump-shooter for this team at this time? Dallas seems to have plenty of that in stock.

   ‘PORTLAND’S FINE AT PG’: I told an NBA scout (not Mavs-related) that a lot of fans think a Kidd-to-Portland trade would make sense for both teams. Even the Portland media is anticipating the eventual move there.

   My scout’s response on Kidd: “Kidd isn’t Dallas’ problem. Far from it.’’

   His response on the Blazers: “Why do they need a different point guard? You don’t need an All-Star at every position.’’

    ‘DO WE WANT TO TRIM THE KNICKS’ FAT?’: Let me start with what I wrote for this space on Saturday morning:

    FISH BEFORE MAVS-KNICKS: Lots of media types group Knicks Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph under the same blanket. Both big men, both with skills, both with (too much) heft. But I don’t believe most NBA teams see them that way. Curry’s promise has never been realized; Randolph truly was on the brink of stardom in Portland before his ego (and his fat contract) impeded him.

   I believe Randolph is a reclamation project worth investing in. I don’t have inside info on Dallas’ thinking here, but I’ll say this: If Randolph ends up being a project belonging to another Sourthwest team, the Mavs will spend the next few years with some regret.

   Now – after having actually watched Randolph in action in D’Antoni’s offense, let me re-load:

   FISH AFTER MAVS-KNICKS: Randolph (even with the three-year, $48-mil burden) is a lovely fit for D’Antoni during the franchise-building process. Is he a final-piece-to-the-puzzle player like Amare (almost) was in Phoenix? No. But seeing his name in trade talks right now seems like somebody’s playing Fantasy Basketball. I cannot fathom many reasons why D’Antoni – who has obviously pushed a motivational button in this guy – would now push him out the door.

   I’m sticking with my low opinion of Eddy Curry, though.

  ‘THE 20-GAME RULE’: My friend Jan Hubbard, who has covered the NBA since peach-basket times, says NBA teams traditionally give themselves 20 games before writing their self-evaluations in ink. Meanwhile, Eddie Sefko, right next to Jan in old-timey wisdom, says the Mavs “aren't out there beating the bushes trying to find that monster trade that will fix everything.’’

  Maybe there’s no ink. And maybe there’s no bush-beating.

  But the self-evaluations are happening. And the Mavs are at least peeking into those bushes.

 

749pm nov 17 2008

 

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