Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is signaling the blame in the failed three-team trade with the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers.
When All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler agreed to a sign-and-trade with the Sixers to go to the Heat, Miami was hard-pressed to find suitors that would take the expensive contracts of various players like point guard Goran Dragic and big man Kelly Olynyk.
The Heat intended to trade Dragic to Dallas, but the Mavs believed they were getting Kelly Olynyk and Derrick Jones Jr., with one more player needed to complete the deal. Miami didn't want to include Jones in the deal, and it ultimately fell through.
Cuban is calling the failed trade a “miscommunication,” via Barry Jackson in the Miami Herald:
“I was sitting in the room full of people when the call was discussed and we put the trade we thought was happening on our board. We later discussed trade kickers and added a player to make it work. They obviously thought they heard something else.”
Cuban said “there was absolutely nothing malicious that went on.”
“We get along great with the Heat and have done many deals with them. Wires just got crossed somehow.”
It has been a busy offseason for Mark Cuban and the Mavs, who re-signed one-time All-Star forward Kristaps Porzingis to a massive five-year, $158 million contract despite never playing a minute for the team yet. Porzingis is recovering from an ACL tear suffered while playing for the New York Knicks in February 2018. The Knicks traded Porzingis along with other veterans to the Mavs in exchange for Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, and two future first-round picks.
Dallas also signed Seth Curry, re-signed Dorian Finney-Smith, and Maxi Kleber, and extended big man Dwight Powell.
Follow Us
Subscribe