Dallas Mavericks: Money, Not Players, Reason for Lack of Trade Chatter

The NBA Trade Deadline is under 24 hours and the Dallas Mavericks are nowhere to be found in the rumors. Is it really because the lack of assets from the Mavs?

Last year, the Mavericks sent shock waves around the league as they made a blockbuster move to land Rajon Rondo from the Boston Celtics in December. This year, the Mavs are holding their cards close to their chest as not a single rumor is surrounding the team heading into Thursday’s deadline.

With Dallas being vocally in “win-now” mode in the last few years of Dirk Nowitzki‘s career, it comes as a surprise to some of the lack of chatter coming out of Dallas as buyers. But is the lack of chatter due to the lack of talented players that other teams desire? Or is it because of certain contracts on the team?

Most people, including national media sites, who talk about the Mavericks at the deadline usually say something around the same thing. “The Mavericks would love to be buyers but they lack the assets for a trade.”

But the problem isn’t the players, it’s the salaries of these players.

The Mavericks have players that other teams would covet. Zaza Pachulia is having a career year as he looks like a top 15 center in the league at the moment; and he is on an expiring deal. Raymond Felton is having a rejuvenating season and would be a perfect primary backup (or even starter for some) point guard for some contending teams, and he too is on an expiring deal. Even players such as Deron Williams and youngsters Justin Anderson and Dwight Powell would be valuable pieces for teams across the league.

The only problem is NONE of these assets have a salary figure over $5.5 million this season, thus making it nearly impossible to match up salaries with some of the bigger names on the rumor mill.

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For example, Dwight Howard is on the books for over $22 million this season. Assuming that Wesley Matthews, Chandler Parsons, and Dirk Nowitzki are all untouchable, the Mavs would hypothetically have to combine AT LEAST all five of the above players to make it work. Obviously, near impossible.

There is one thing the Mavs need to be big time players at the deadline. One thing that would allow them to take a big risk and trade for one of the bigger names. One thing that could have helped propel the Mavs near the top.

A David Lee. A Ty Lawson. A Roy Hibbert.

Basically a throw in contract that would match the salaries of these bigger names. The Mavs have the combination of expiring veterans to go along with some young talent in Anderson and Powell that would entice some of these teams on the market. They just don’t have a David Lee type of contract to throw into the deal.

Even names such as Pau Gasol and Al Horford are names more reasonable as they have salaries that would be easier to matchup with.

Now this obviously doesn’t hamper the small trade market as the Mavs could look to improve their bench unit heading into Thursday. I would actually be surprised if the Mavs aren’t connected to some small names before the deadline.

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So before you go bashing the Mavs for not chasing some of the bigger names on the market, realize they are in a unique salary situation that would make a big deal not involving Matthews or Parsons nearly impossible.