The Dallas Mavericks want to be 100 percent vaccinated by the start of the regular season, and new head coach Jason Kidd confirmed the team’s thinking during media day. Players avoid strict COVID-19 protocols and the threat of sitting out games due to local health ordinances if they are vaccinated. The Mavs are focusing on chemistry and communication, and building off the court bonds is significantly easier for vaccinated players this season.
Kidd said the Mavericks were in the “90th percentile” vaccinated during media day, and Trey Burke confirmed he was unvaccinated on Sept. 29. He doubled down by telling FOX 4’s Mike Doocy that he was “respectively declining” the vaccine. Burke noted he plans to follow the stricter protocols, but it leaves the Mavs in a difficult position.
On Oct. 1, Marc Stein dropped the rumor (subscription required) that the Mavs looked for Trey Burke trades before signing Frank Ntilikina, but there could not strike a deal. He notes they continue to explore the trade market in hopes of clearing their roster crunch. What will Dallas do if they cannot find a trade?
Rumors: Dallas Mavericks inquired about a Trey Burke trade
The Mavericks are going to continue searching for trades, but dealing Burke will be difficult. Every team is hoping to be 100 percent vaccinated to avoid the potential distraction that comes with a player missing games.
Waiving him is a bit problematic too because Burke has a player option for the 2022-2023 season at $3.5 million. Owner Mark Cuban and the Mavs would have to eat $6.8 million to release him.
The Dallas Mavericks have 16 players under fully or partially guaranteed contracts at the start of training camp and must be down to 15 by opening night. At least one player will be moved, but who and how are still up for debate.
Trey Burke is penciled in as the Mavs third-string point guard this season. He is a valuable shot creator and scorer coming off the bench, so it will be interesting to see what the new front office led by Nico Harrison decides to do here. Finding a trade would be ideal, but stay tuned to see how it all goes down.