6:11pm: There’s a sense around the NBA that talks between the Mavs and Hawks have stalled, but aren’t dead, as there’s some incentive for both sides to get something done, tweets Jeremy Woo of SI.com.
Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) that the Hawks asked for at least one future draft pick from Dallas in addition to the package noted below by Marc Stein, while Stein adds (via Twitter) that Atlanta was asking for an unprotected first-rounder.
5:59pm: While the Mavericks reportedly made a push for the No. 3 pick in the hopes of drafting Luka Doncic, it doesn’t seem like a trade with the Hawks will materialize, according to reports. Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports suggests (via Twitter) that those discussions have “lost momentum” in recent hours.
Meanwhile, Marc Stein of The New York Times reports (via Twitter) that the Hawks and Mavericks are still engaged in talks, but Dallas has been unwilling to send Wesley Matthews to Atlanta in exchange for Kent Bazemore. The two players’ salaries are comparable, but Bazemore is under contract for two more years, while Matthews will be on an expiring deal, so the swap would essentially amount to paying $19MM+ to move up two spots.
Mike Fisher of 247Sports.com and Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (Twitter links) are among those suggesting that a trade is still possible. However, at this point it seems more likely than not that the Mavs will stay put at No. 5, as president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson hints.
“We feel very comfortable with where we’re at (No. 5) and that’s probably how it’s going to play out,” Nelson said tonight, per Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link).
An unprotected first and a swap of contracts. Wow. If that’s the price to go to #3 from #5, the Knicks should stay put.
I wouldn’t even swap the contracts, Atlanta’s is the worst they should do better than that, asking too much, right now Matthews contract is quite good to flip to a team needing expirings, Dallas must wait for a better offer.