Mavs, Timberwolves Discussed Rubio, Matthews

The Mavericks and Timberwolves discussed a potential trade that would have sent Ricky Rubio and the No. 7 pick to Dallas in exchange for Wesley Matthews and the No. 9 pick, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. However, a source described those talks as “dead” at this point, according to MacMahon, who adds that Dallas doesn’t feel any urgency to move up in the draft.

MacMahon’s report isn’t the first to suggest that the Mavs have considered the possibility of acquiring Rubio. We heard over the weekend that Dallas had held in-house talks regarding the availability of the veteran point guard. ESPN’s Chad Ford also suggested this week that the Mavs might explore moving up in the draft and leapfrogging the Knicks — both Dallas and New York (No. 8) reportedly like Frank Ntilikina.

When I examined the Mavs’ upcoming offseason on Monday, I noted that a trade involving Rubio and Matthews might make some sense. Their salaries aren’t far apart, and the Wolves figure to be in the market for a three-and-D wing. As I wrote in that piece, Rubio – who has two years left on his contract – could also serve as a nice stopgap at the point for the Mavs if the team lands a player like Ntilikina or Dennis Smith Jr. in the draft.

At this point, it doesn’t appear the Mavs and Wolves will work out a deal. But if Minnesota does trade Rubio, look for the club to enter the George Hill sweepstakes “full bore” in July, says Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link).

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