Mavs Trade Down to 24: Links and Thoughts

Take that San Antonio.  We'll see your Richard Jefferson and raise you two second round picks.

In case you missed it, the deal is now official.

The Portland Trail Blazers dipped into their collection of picks in the NBA draft, acquiring No. 22 from the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday in exchange for No. 24 and two second-rounders.

Dallas now has the 56th pick in this years draft, giving them one pick in the second round as opposed to none.  They also receive the lower of Chicago's or Portland's second rounders next year.

Donnie Nelson and Mark Cuban have both said the reason they made the trade is because they feel the player(s) they like will still be there at 24.  And from that stand point, I'm 100% on board with this deal.  Dallas is better off with these two second rounders than they were without them.  And even though the chance either amounts to anything is slim, at least there's a chance.  My only question is did they really have to get these two picks back in return?

The Trailblazers are loaded full of second round picks and it was a given they would trade some. They had the 33rd, 38th, 55th, and 56th pick in this years draft in addition to their two second rounders next year.  The Mavs managed to get their lowest picks in '09 and '10.  Does Portland say no if Dallas asks for the 55th and the higher of next years two picks?  I can't imagine Dallas didn't ask, so I guess we know the answer.  I suppose the low cost for moving up two spots in the first round only illustrates the perceived parity in this years draft.

"It's just two spots, and we're still going to get the guy we like," Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said. "The depth of the second tier in this year's draft has given us the opportunity to trade down, pick up two second-round picks and not lose ground in terms of talent."

"After 10 to 12, it's such an eye-of-the-beholder deal," team president Donnie Nelson said recently. "There are going to be guys that someone likes at 25 and someone else likes him at 13."

There is a lot of speculation that Portland traded up to grab Israeli SF Omri Casspi, who is someone I don't think the Mavs would have had a lot of interest in.  If that's the case, and Dallas knows it, then they are essentially only moving down one spot.

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The Lakers are planning to get rid of their first round pick, 29th overall.

General manager Mitch Kupchak said Wednesday that there was a "better than even likelihood" the team would get rid of its first-round pick.

The Lakers are hopeful they will re-sign Trevor Ariza, Shannon Brown and Lamar Odom, all of whom become unrestricted free agents on July 1. If so, that would bring the roster to the league-minimum 13 players, making it unlikely the team would add another player.

I'll take that to mean the pick is for sale.

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John Hollinger has updated his mock draft and now has Dallas getting Jeff Teague at 24 with Eric Maynor still on the board as well.

This would be a pretty big slide for Teague, who thought his floor was No. 19. Actually, he could go as high as No. 10, so his range is pretty wide. Dallas would be doing backflips to get him here, and, as it happens, he's got some Devin Harris in his game.

At 56, which is total guesswork, he has Dallas taking Bosnian center Goran Suton who played four years at Michigan State.  He's 6'10", unatheltic, prefers jump shots to posting up, and will already be 24 at the start of next season.  Pass!