RUMOR MILL: Dallas is going so well right now they might be very reluctant to mess with the current roster. The chemistry is being talked about so positively these days. Of course we thought the same thing about this time last year and then right before the trade deadline they pulled off a multiplayer deal with Washington to acquire Juwan Howard. Though its details are still to be determined as to date and amount, the looming luxury tax is still on the mind of some NBA teams out there. There are a handful that might be looking to make a move if it could reflect better on their salary cap situation. If one of these were to present the right deal they could pull the trigger again though I doubt anything would affect the main core. Nowitzki and Nash are untouchable and Michael Finley is thought to be so too. The intangibles that Tim Hardaway has brought to th4 team just about put him in that category too. Some fans were impressed by the way the way the team played when Finley was out, and the boards have had some trade talk centered around him, but after signing his new contract last July he is a BYC1 player meaning that the Mavs could only take back one half his salary. So unless some team wanted to unload a young stud or two still on their rookie contracts there's just no way this could look enticing to Dallas. There's always the slight possibility that a lottery pick could sway their thinking in a deal. It's very quietly being rumored that the Mavs' have some interest in a couple of youngsters that could be available in this June's draft. Don Nelson was heard to be talking favorably about Yao Ming as far back as 1999 when they selected Wang Zhizhi who has started to show why this could turn out to have been a steal. As Wang shows more and more that he can play in the NBA it makes Ming look better and better in this coming draft when he will be eligible. Wang and Ming have played together in China and Dallas already has a Chinese interpreter on staff. They also already have a working arrangement in place with the Chinese Communist government in Beijing. Something not easily attained. Can you imagine the popularity of Maverick team merchandise in China if both of these guys played in Dallas? As astute a businessman as Mark Cuban is I doubt that this possibility has escaped him either. Nellie has always had an obsession with height [he traded for Shawn Bradley didn't he?] and Ming is 7'5". He's also probably more athletic and active than Bradley. Shawn's new contract signed last summer is so cap friendly it justifies even the limited contribution periods you have to live with in his play. To Dallas and others it's said in some circles even if that word others only defines two or three teams. There has been speculation that Juwan Howard cold look attractive to a few teams even with the size of his contract.
(From Bskball)
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Dragonsnake
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