Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News frequently dips into his mailbag to answer reader questions, and today's responses are especially full of relevant info. He looks ahead to trades and free agent signings the Mavs could pursue over the next 12 months, and sizes up the return on some of the moves the team made this past summer. We'll round up the highlights here:
- It's "very likely" the Mavs will be involved in a swap before the trade deadline, but nothing will go down before December 15th, when free agents who signed this summer become eligible to be traded. Whatever happens, it's unlikely to be a "monster deal," according to Sefko, who mentions Rodrigue Beaubois as a likely trade candidate.
- Sefko thinks the Mavs have interest in upcoming free agent Al Jefferson, despite his high price tag, believing he'd be a much more appealing target for the team than Josh Smith.
- Sefko doesn't believe owner Mark Cuban was sincere when he said he wants to keep all of the team's new additions, and thinks the future of the team's coterie of guys on one-year contracts is up in the air.
- Michael Finley had been working in the Mavs front office before his latest comeback attempt, but Sefko doesn't see a place for him on the playing roster.
- O.J. Mayo's move from the Grizzlies to the Mavs has worked out well for both teams so far, Sefko observes.
- It's unclear whether the Suns want to put Marcin Gortat on the market, but if they do, Sefko believes it would take a package of Mayo, Jae Crowder, and draft picks for the Mavs to land him.