02-07-2023, 10:36 AM
From Cato:
Dallas is indeed actively exploring trade structures involving Wood and Hardaway Jr.
It’s clear the Mavericks believe that he (Wood) shouldn’t be more than a rotation player — one coming off the bench, as he did on Monday in his return from injury — if he’s going to remain on this team.
There really aren’t recent championship teams or even runner-ups who built around a traditional center making $20 million or more, especially not one who wasn’t a defensive anchor. If those are Wood’s demands this summer, then trading him now is justified. It’ll just be a matter to see if they can find any team willing to send something back.
What Dallas still needs is another wing defender and, ideally, a backup big that can replicate what McGee was supposed to provide. Another ball handler would still be useful, of course, since Dallas still doesn’t have many of them and the Dončić-and-Irving duo can still be expected to miss games. But it’s the defending that Kleber’s return alone can’t save, and which most imminently needs outside additions. Now we wait to see if the Mavericks can fill those needs. We’ll have our answer before long.
Why the Mavs’ win over the Jazz briefly upstaged the Kyrie Irving trade - The Athletic
Dallas is indeed actively exploring trade structures involving Wood and Hardaway Jr.
It’s clear the Mavericks believe that he (Wood) shouldn’t be more than a rotation player — one coming off the bench, as he did on Monday in his return from injury — if he’s going to remain on this team.
There really aren’t recent championship teams or even runner-ups who built around a traditional center making $20 million or more, especially not one who wasn’t a defensive anchor. If those are Wood’s demands this summer, then trading him now is justified. It’ll just be a matter to see if they can find any team willing to send something back.
What Dallas still needs is another wing defender and, ideally, a backup big that can replicate what McGee was supposed to provide. Another ball handler would still be useful, of course, since Dallas still doesn’t have many of them and the Dončić-and-Irving duo can still be expected to miss games. But it’s the defending that Kleber’s return alone can’t save, and which most imminently needs outside additions. Now we wait to see if the Mavericks can fill those needs. We’ll have our answer before long.
Why the Mavs’ win over the Jazz briefly upstaged the Kyrie Irving trade - The Athletic