Wesley Matthews’ name has been lightly bandied about the NBA’s trade rumor mill, but suitors for the three-and-D wing shouldn’t hold their breath for the Dallas Mavericks to deal him.
Not according to Mavericks owner Mark Cuban at least, per ESPN.com’s Tim MacMahon:
Mark Cuban on interest in Wesley Matthews: "There's a couple of guys we'd trade him for, but … all of them aren't available."
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) January 22, 2017
Mark Cuban's point on Wesley Matthews: He's not going anywhere unless Mavs get a star in return. He considers Wes a cornerstone.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) January 22, 2017
This isn’t too surprising a stance from the Mavericks. Less than four games separate them from the Western Conference’s eighth and final playoff seed, and Matthews’ contract is looking like a bargain this side of the NBA’s salary-cap explosion—particularly when he’s defending his ass off, shooting 38.3 percent from three-point range and showing little to no signs of having torn his Achilles midway through the 2014-15 season.
Still, even if the Mavericks earn that No. 8 slot, they’ll be facing the prospect of a first-round sweep at the hands of the Golden State Warriors. The idea that they can return to title contention before Dirk Nowitzki retires, either after this season or next, is on life support, and while Matthews is the type of player you want on your team, he’ll be well into his mid-30s by the time Dallas is ready to contend again.
Perhaps the Mavericks will more seriously consider moving him over the offseason, when they have a better hold on Nowitzki’s future and their free-agent appeal. But with the competitive landscape the way it is now, they shouldn’t preclude themselves from trading Matthews this season. They need picks and prospects to help usher in the next era of Mavs basketball and should, at minimum, be on the lookout for a monster offer from interested suitors.
