NBA Rumors: Dallas Mavericks interested in Luol Deng
The Dallas Mavericks added a few nice pieces to their team last offseason, including guard Monta Ellis, but didn’t make the big splash they wanted. With cap space available, they will try again this year.
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The Mavericks want to make a big move to acquire a star like Miami Heat forward LeBron James, Minnesota Timberwolves’ power forward Kevin Love or New York Knicks’ forward Carmelo Anthony, but none of those options seem all that realistic.
Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News believes that adding a player like Deng could be better for the Mavericks anyway.
"“I think you go to somebody like that, he gives you things that you need because I don’t think that Shawn Marion’s coming back. This is a guy who is a good small forward, a good two-way forward, he plays defense. This is like a younger version of Marion that you’d be getting here. I think it’s absolutely imperative they get a guy like that. You probably wouldn’t have to give him a max contract and I think that he’d be perfect. And I think if we’ve learned anything from the Spurs, it’s that you find the pieces that fit just for you. Don’t be worried about a Carmelo Anthony, I think that’s such an old-time thinking in the NBA is to think that we’ve got to have two superstars or three superstars to really win. I don’t think you always need that. I think you’ve got to have some really good parts that fit together really well, then you see how far you can go.”"
Deng averaged 16.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.0 steals per game for the Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls last night.