Mavs Get Freaking Shawn Marion!!!!

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4310011

Updated: July 6, 2009, 9:33 PM ET
Sources: Mavs pursue Raps' MarionComment Email Print Share By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

The Dallas Mavericks, after striking verbal agreements over the past few days to retain Jason Kidd and sign restricted free agent Marcin Gortat to an offer sheet, have identified their latest target: Shawn Marion.


The Mavericks and Toronto Raptors, according to NBA front-office sources, are discussing a sign-and-trade deal that would bring Marion to Dallas.


Although no trade appeared imminent Monday night, Dallas has emerged as perhaps the best option for Marion. He appeared to be heading for a new deal with the Raptors when Toronto succeeded in wooing Hedo Turkoglu away from the Portland Trail Blazers with an 11th-hour bid on Friday after Turkoglu had committed to the Blazers.


If the Mavericks and Raptors can strike a deal -- with a third team potentially needed to help make the salary-cap math work -- sources say that former All-Star guard Jerry Stackhouse will almost certainly be headed to the Raptors in the exchange. Stackhouse is scheduled to earn $7 million next season at age 34, but only $2 million of his salary is guaranteed.


Without a sign-and-trade, Marion's options for landing a contract that starts above the projected mid-level exception of $5.8 million next season would appear to be exhausted, with neither Portland nor Oklahoma City -- teams that still have cap space to burn -- expected to make him an offer.



Marc Stein is a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com.