You kind of have to read between the lines of the Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told the Sporting News. Well, not very hard. It’s actually obvious what he is really saying, he just doesn’t want to write David Stern another large check.
Cuban can’t say Carmelo Anthony by name — that would be tampering — but when a reporter asked Cuban if he would be interested in “renting” a player of that caliber he was crystal clear.“Yeah, in a heartbeat. Because then it’s up to me to try to convince them to stay,” Cuban told the Post. “If everybody wants to give off a great player, we’re always going to try to be opportunistic. But those calls typically aren’t made. Those happen once every five years or so.
“I can’t talk about other teams’ players, but I’m always trying to be opportunistic,” Cuban said. “If someone wanted to offer me a perennial All-Star for a second-round pick, I’m going to say yes.”
It wouldn’t be a second round pick. It would be more like Rodrigue Beaubois, Caron Butler’s expiring deal and an assortment of other players and picks to make it work. That’s not nearly the deal the Nuggets watched fall apart with the Nets, but it beats ending up like Cleveland and Toronto when Denver gets nothing.
Cuban realizes the window on his team is closing, Dirk Nowitizki is getting old and Jason Kidd already is. This would give the Mavericks a real chance right now.
They just have to get Denver interested, and Denver may be more interested in Houston’s rental offer. Or the Knicks. Or… really, who knows what they are thinking.
