In light of the recent rumors, the Dallas Mavericks insist on a potential reconciliation with point guard Dennis Smith Jr., noting they won't trade him unless they get good value in return for their 2017 lottery pick, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
“Plan A” is to fix the issue, instead of looking for a way out of the mess, though the Mavs have explored trades, with no offers coming that would make them want to pull the trigger on it.
MacMahon recently went on The Hoop Collective podcast and explained the organization is internally conflicted on what action to take, given Smith's awkward situation with coach Rick Carlisle and his decision to not play until he is traded.
Via Sporting Dallas Forth Worth:
“You know Dallas is desperate to move him,” said MacMahon on Thursday's podcast. “The entire league knows they've been trying to move him. There's major issues there. So good luck getting decent value. (Mark) Cuban and (president Donnie) Nelson are determined at this point, ‘we're not taking 50 cents on the dollar.'”
Smith had been linked to interest from the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns last week, but talks between the Mavs and the two franchises were merely of exploratory nature.
The Feb. 7 trade deadline is only three weeks away, giving Dallas very little time to work on an ideal package in return for Smith, who was drafted with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Besides his reported rift with Carlisle, Smith has quickly seen the Mavs shift Luka Doncic into the forefront, taking the role of franchise star very quickly into his rookie year.
The Mavs will want just compensation in return for Smith, but that rarely ever happens for a team selling in the NBA, as that desperation to move Smith comes with a dire price.
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