Hey Mavs fans!
We’re rebooting the Trailing 3 Podcast (via Anchor this time) and the first episode is now up! Check it out on the link below!
We’re working on getting this on other listening platforms like Spotify, etc. Thanks for your patience!
Here’s the link to the latest episode of The Trailing 3 podcast! It’s been a while!
We’re talking with Jeff Siegel of earlybirdrights.com about trade scenarios and the Kristaps Porzingis trade!
https://www.buzzsprout.com/253913/944229-the-trailing-3-trade-talk-with-jeff-siegel
If you’ve been following the Twitter rounds tonight and saw this tweet, you probably raised your eyebrows:
The tweet was followed later by a story co-written by both ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Woj himself. Included were some pretty intense details that may have caught a lot of #MFFL off-guard.
To note –
… pushing to end a partnership that has run its course for both the franchise and former first-round pick, league sources tell ESPN.”
Coach Rick Carlisle and Smith have struggled to find a common ground, league sources said. The arrival of rookie of the year favorite Luka Doncic has pushed Smith off the ball and changed the trajectory of his role with the team. Carlisle has often been frustrated with Smith’s decision-making, league sources said.
Smith has been in the rumor mill for weeks. Dallas, per Marc Stein, was gauging the market for him as far back as a month ago with multiple executives speculating that the Mavericks would eventually part ways with the high-flying guard due to the ascendance of Luka Doncic and Smith’s poor on-the-court fit.
While some argue that it’s too early to make final judgments on the two young budding stars’ fit together (they’ve literally played together for half a season), it’s clear Doncic is the centerpiece of Dallas’ future.
It’s worth noting that Smith Jr. and Doncic have a strong friendship off the court and their significant others are reportedly very close.
The Athletic’s Tim Cato added his input as well:
Per people close to the Mavs this season, and from Mike Fisher’s account (and Dalton Trigg and others with 247 Sports), Dallas’ locker room has been seemingly free of any of the purported friction that today’s reports hint at. Smith has missed the last three games with what Dallas has termed a “sore back.” That being said, it wasn’t two weeks ago that Smith’s sprained wrist was at the center of attention.
If we accept the premise that a trade is imminent, what teams would be in the market for a player of Dennis’ caliber at the PG position? The names tossed around tonight would be Phoenix, Orlando and possibly Detroit.
In a prior edition of “Donuts” earlier this month, Fisher mentioned Andre Drummond as a possible name to watch should the Pistons and Mavs get serious in trade talks about Smith, and Orlando has been looking for a suitable point guard seemingly forever.
As of 10:07 p.m., central time, the Dallas Morning News’ Brad Townsend officially reported that Phoenix was no longer interested in Smith Jr., leaving the likely list of teams at two. The source of that bit of news was John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
Who could Dallas look at for a possible return for DSJ from Orlando? Perhaps Mo Bamba? Per MacMahon, Dallas was once again looking for suitors for Wes Matthews, so there is that to take into consideration. Aaron Gordon is another name to consider.
Of course, as the trade deadline draws nearer, it’s likely that the rumors will increase in both intensity and in number as Feb. 7 draws closer.
In today’s episode the TT3 Podcast, we’re diving deep into the Memphis/Dallas rumors centered on the No. 4 Pick and Chandler Parsons’ massive deal.
Also, is the deal really worth it for Dallas if Doncic is gone by No. 4? And, if Doncic IS there at No.4, does Memphis still consider trading out? It’s a weird situation for the Mavs, but we’ll take a gander at trying to understand what Dallas’ options are in the next day-and-a-half.
Enjoy!
The Dallas Mavericks’ dreams of a potential top-3 draft pick in the upcoming June 21 NBA Draft were snuffed out on Tuesday night, but Dallas will still pick at the No. 5 spot after being jumped in the order by the Sacramento Kings (No. 2) and the Atlanta Hawks (No. 3).
In a cruel twist of irony, despite winning the end-of-season tiebreaker with the Hawks for the third-best odds heading into Tuesday’s drawing, Atlanta still managed to get the better of the ping pong balls and moved ahead of the Mavericks who, just minutes earlier, saw the Kinds move up as well.
It’s the second year in a row Sacramento has had good luck with the lottery.
Coming into Tuesday, the Mavericks had a 13.8% chance at the No. 1 spot and a 43.8% chance of landing in the top three positions. Their highest positional odds were at the No. 5 slot.
While seeing a potential top-3 selection fade away is frustrating, Mavs’ fans still have plenty to be excited about at which names could be available when Dallas’ name is called.
Deandre Ayton and Luka Doncic are the near-consensus top 2 picks in plenty of mock drafts. After that is where the choices vary.
Marvin Bagley figures to be the likely choice for Atlanta, a team with needs basically everywhere. The Hawks could also just as feasibly go with Jaren Jackson Jr. to fill their big man need if they think he’d be a good fit with John Collins.
Memphis figures to be a prime Bagley fit if the Hawks decide to pass. I don’t think Mo Bamba or Jackson quite mesh with Memphis’ plans if they decide to retain Marc Gasol for the remainder of his deal. If he’s somehow dealt in between now and the draft then, obviously, that changes.
Then you have Dallas. The Mavericks are very likely looking at the option to pick Michael Porter Jr. or whomever is left between Jackson and Bamba. Opinions on Bamba might be the most widely-varied of any potential draft prospect out there.
Don’t count 105.3 The Fan’s Jeff “Skin” Wade among those.
I can see arguments for both Jackson and Bamba as fits for the Mavericks defensively and while Jackson may be seen as a “safer” fit due to his higher projected floor, Bamba’s upside has the potential to be higher.
That being said, I want to re-iterate that these projections are just that, projections. For the Mavericks to be faced with a choice between a potential Dirk Nowitzki replacement in Porter or a franchise-changing center in Bamba is a good situation to be in.
On to the combine!
While this might be the slowest time of the NBA season for teams not in the playoffs, that doesn’t mean the NBA rumor mill ever stops churning. The Dallas Mavericks are facing potentially the most important offseason in franchise history with $12.9M in cap room, a potential top-3 draft pick and a rising young point guard salivating at the prospect of the playoffs next year.
Rumor 1 – Has Wesley Matthews played his last game as Maverick?
Dallas received the news today that its shooting guard Wes Matthews will exercise the fourth-year player option of $18 million for the 2018-19 season. While the move was widely expected, it comes with more than a few layers of intrigue for the ninth-year wing. Certainly, Matthews is Dallas’ most valuable trade chip at this point. Here are some more things to consider:
Rumor 2 – How do the Mavs view Mo Bamba in the 2018 draft?
The Mavericks are looking at a very likely top 3 pick in the NBA draft in June and there’s a chance they could even draft No. 1 overall (13.8%). The consensus top pick in the draft and the name atop nearly every team’s draft board at this is most likely Deandre Ayton, who has drawn comparisons to just about every excellent big man the NBA has seen in the last 20 years. Doncic is widely viewed as the consensus No. 2 pick.
However, at spots No. 3 – 5 is where it gets tricky. Opinions range on prospects Mo Bamba (viewed as too soft), Jaren Jackson Jr. (great defender and rebounder, but is prone to serious bouts of foul trouble) and Marvin Bagley (can score at a potentially-elite level and rebounds well, but is a poor free throw shooter who struggled on defense at Duke). Michael Porter Jr. didn’t get a chance his freshman year to show scouts what a fully warmed-up version of himself can do and his back injury will give teams pause.
I mean, when videos like this come out that a big with a 7’9 wingspan and a 9’6 standing reach can hit threes like this, there’s bound to be excitement.
While there’s a risk at taking a prospect as raw offensively as Bamba as high as third in the draft, it was easy to see his defensive upside during his time at the University of Texas.
The Mavericks will certainly have a hard choice to make should they end up with the No. 3 pick, but they won’t be short on talent to choose from.
We are now officially 15 days away from the NBA Draft Lottery and a point where a lot of these rumors and ideas will become a little clearer. The Dallas Mavericks are in an enviable position even if the path to this point hasn’t been the prettiest.
Check back to thetrailing3.com for more information and news on Dallas as it becomes available!
THE TRAILING 3 