The Mavericks/Hawks Trade Explained
The Dallas Mavericks were hoping for a home run at the NBA trade deadline, but when all was said and done they had to settle for a single.
Dahntay Jones was brought in as a replacement of sorts for DeShawn Stevenson, whose defensive efforts were so key to the Mavericks’ championship run two seasons ago. Unfortunately, Jones never quite found his place in the mix of new players that compiled Rick Carlisle’s lineup this season. His defense was decent enough, but his inability to convert on the offensive end made it hard for Carlisle to justify giving him minutes over O.J. Mayo and Vince Carter, both prolific scorers.
The Mavericks found a solution to that problem right before Thursday’s deadline, pulling the trigger on a deal that sent Jones to Atlanta (where Stevenson also now plays) and landed three-point sharpshooter Anthony Morrow in Dallas.
Morrow was in the rotation in Atlanta early this season, but back injuries cost him some games and while he was out rookie John Jenkins played so well that head coach Larry Drew had a hard time justifying putting him back on the bench. In the mean time, the Hawks have been looking for a strong defensive wing to fill the role that Stevenson’s troublesome knee has prevented him from filling. The previous loss of Marvin Williams, who was traded to Utah, and Lou Williams (ACL injury) only added to the Hawks’ defensive deficiency.
The Hawks believe Jones can fill their defensive needs and add some versatility to their overall attack.
For the Mavericks, Morrow is just one option on the offensive end, someone who can make the defense pay for sagging off to crowd Dirk Nowitzki or prevent driving plays by Mayo or Darren Collison.
This is not the kind of trade that gets the fan base excited, but it does benefit both teams in small ways.
Lang Greene contributed to this report.
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