The Mavericks have put on a full-court press in downplaying reports from Bleacher Report and SNY.tv suggesting that they’d gauged Kristaps Porzingis‘ potential value on the trade market. Team owner Mark Cuban sent messages to beat reporters on Tuesday denying that the team had discussed Porzingis with anyone and expressing displeasure with at least one of the anonymous quotes in the Bleacher Report story.
Additionally, as Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News reports, multiple other key members of the organization disputed the idea that Porzingis might be a trade candidate. Townsend says he was told that the “pat answer” president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson gives to teams asking the Mavs about trades is that Luka Doncic and Porzingis are off the table.
According to Townsend, he was also “emphatically” told that the Mavericks haven’t initiated discussions with any franchise about a Porzingis trade, and that when one team did inquire about the big man, “the answer was a quick no.”
When a team swiftly and emphatically denies a report about a rumored trade discussion, it’s sometimes the case that the report got some details wrong, or was altogether false. However, in this instance, multiple reputable reporters had similar stories, and the Mavs’ insistence that they’d never deign to consider a Porzingis trade feels a little over the top, given his injury history, his contract, and his good-but-not-great production.
While I don’t expect the Mavericks to actually trade Porzingis this season or even in the offseason, it’s not unreasonable to assume the team is doing some damage control here and won’t consider the former lottery pick completely off-limits going forward.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Although the Mavericks have had on-and-off interest in DeMarcus Cousins for years and could use some rebounding help, Dallas isn’t considered a viable landing spot for the veteran center, who is currently on waivers, tweets Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
- Warriors guard Mychal Mulder had been viewed as a candidate to be released today, before his full-season salary became guaranteed, but Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link) hears that Mulder isn’t going anywhere for now. The 26-year-old has another non-guaranteed season on his deal, so Golden State will retain some flexibility with him this offseason if he remains on the roster.
- In spit of the Kings‘ eight-game losing streak and Tyrese Haliburton‘s increased production (17.1 PPG and 5.4 APG on .529/.485/.778 shooting in his last 11 games), head coach Luke Walton has no plans to change the starting lineup and insert the rookie guard, writes James Ham of NBC Sports California.
Golden State needs to keep Mulder as their #3 PG if Curry gets injured again.
This is the weird thought that cross your mind
That’s good Sill.
#3? im pretty sure they’re doing so they could get linsanity back
Lin can’t stay healthy. I doubt he is on at the end of the season.
Yeah, but at least Lin sheds a lot of tears. That dude cries like a housewife binge-watching Hallmark commercials.
What is Lin crying about? can you explain???
He just cries often during interviews in general. At least he doesn’t throw a tantrum on national TV like Adam Morrison, though.
No he doesn’t you just hate how he speaks up for his people.
wait are u talking bout morrison or lin
he only cried during a sermon at a church cuz not a single team even bother to pick him up last year, genius
Huh? Curry is in the best shape of his career. Mulder slots in as #6 on PG depth chart.
ikr, all mulder can do is shoot threes which are relatively efficient and dunk and sometimes hes inefficient
Curry was in the best shape of his career when his team went to five straight Finals, and he was still in his 20’s. Missing 95 of his last 261 games is hardly indicative of someone who is in the best shape of his career. He’ll be 33 in two weeks, Steph ain’t getting any younger.
the only reason why that happened was cuz of a casual, aka aron baynes who sat on his hand
Dallas needs to test the market for KP and Boston needs to do the same for Kemba
Radical maybe. But both teams have young franchise players to build around.
The jury’s out on both guys – may be better to get 50 cents on the dollar for a guy now and retain some flexibility then have to attach a 1st rd pick to dump a guy a year from now
Test the market list for fun
Ben Simmons
Anthony Edwards
John Collins
Middleton
LaVine
Beal
Lowry
Lonzo
Agree, the only thing frightening tho is next years free agency is a pile of doo
They almost have to have a second jump off plan using assets in a trade Id think to take the gamble –
Boston has shown the ability ofc to do this already (Kyrie) but the results are mixed? so far …..
Luke Waltons really worried about giving the mistaken impression he might be a competent coach for a second
Those are nice numbers Halliburton is putting up. I can’t believe he lasted to 12 for Kings. And he’s avg most mins of any Rookie 30.2 mins. a gm. I thought Kings blew it with Bogdanovic. They struck gold with Halliburton.
No doubt, the Kings were definitely on to something after landing Haliburton..made Bogdan expendable
There are intelligent people in important positions who take Bleacher Report reporting seriously?
Seriously?
If I’m Haliburton I start asking for a trade. No way he shouldn’t start. Is it just me or does Luke Walton seems like not a great coach…
Gotta admit, I’m starting to look at him as overwhelmed. Kings seem to be spinning their wheels or even going backwards. I see talent on that team.
lol i still dont understand why they’re starting bagley instead of playing a lineup of fox, hield, halisburton, barnes, and holmes
Anyone can see that DAL isn’t thinkin’ about tradin’ KP6, dude is just sooo good, but only a few players in the league are untouchable, which KP6 ain’t there, but for me the biggest issue is that KP6 is so good that whatever you get for him is always gonna be less, just like HOU got shortchanged for The Beard, unless you getting a young up & coming star for him, you loosin’ out!