Wizards, Mavericks blockbuster trade
This is the first big trade of the season.
With the 2010 NBA basketball season at the midway point, you can expect the action to pick up as teams will now start to position themselves for a prime playoff spot. Of course, teams will begin to make some changes too and with the trading deadline just around the corner, the NBA’s trading machine will be working overtime in the next few days.
But as far as the Dallas Mavericks and the Washington Wizards are concerned, they’re already making some changes. The Mavericks have just traded Josh Howard to the Wizards in exchange for Caron Butler. The impact this trade will have on each team’s season remains to be seen.
The Washington Wizards have also sent big man Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson to Dallas as part of the package. The Mavericks in return sent Drew Gooden, Quinton Ross and James Singleton as part of the deal with Josh Howard to Washington.
On paper, the Dallas Mavericks clearly had the better end of the deal and the Mavericks organization couldn’t be any happier. ”It makes us significantly better,” Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said.
The addition of Caron Butler will hopefully fill the spot Shawn Marion left when he was traded to Miami a couple of years ago. Brendan Haywood on the other hand will give the Mavericks that shot-blocking presence again, something the team has been lacking since losing Erick Dampier to injury.
”Caron is an established professional and an All-Star with the ability to score from anywhere on the floor,” said Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks’ president of basketball operations. ”Brendan will solidify our center position with athleticism, shot-blocking and defense. DeShawn has also shown that he can be a talented asset to this team.”
As for the Wizards, all they wanted was some change with the way their season has gone. Of course, they want to free up some cap space too hoping that they can land some big name free agent this summer.
”We’re all disappointed in how our season has gone. We need some freshness and we’re getting proven players who will help us, and it gives us some flexibility down the road,” Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said. ”We want to remain competitive and maybe this group can provide a spark. The group had gotten stale, and we needed a change.”
Which team will win the 2010 NBA Finals? SPORTSBETTING.com has the odds.
Orlando Magic 7-1
Boston Celtics 5-1
Denver Nuggets 12-1
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