" While the Mavericks are making a concerted effort to move up in Thursday's NBA draft, they are not limiting their pursuit to merely improving their second-round position. There is a possibility the Mavericks could wiggle into the middle of the first round, a league source said, because there are teams drafting in that area that might relinquish their pick if they can get rid of a salaried player with it. The intent for those teams would be to get salary cap relief to perhaps be stronger players in the free-agent frenzy that begins July 1, or to avoid paying any luxury tax. For instance, the source said, if the Mavericks were willing to take a player back, it would be a financial windfall for the other team and net the Mavericks a pick and a player. The player coming to the Mavericks would have to fit into their trade exception (about $2.4 million) acquired in the Kris Humphries trade with New Jersey last season. If such a move gets the Mavericks into the top 20, it's an area that could produce value in a relatively deep draft. Currently, they own only the No. 50 overall pick. "We're active as always and we're in the mix on a number of situations," president Donnie Nelson said without getting into any specifics. "If the opportunity presents itself, we'll squeeze the trigger." Another scenario is that the Mavericks could buy their way into the early portion of the second round. Several teams are considering this avenue because, while it could cost as much as $1.5 million, it still would be cheaper than trying to get into the first round because a second-round pick does not require a two- or three-year commitment. " http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcon...vs/stories/062210dnospomavericks.1c6136f.html
