Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
If guard Monta Ellis exercises his player option for next season, the Dallas Mavericks will do everything in their power to trade him prior to Thursday’s NBA Draft.
There is no denying Ellis is a productive player. In fact, his 18.9 points per game last season led the Mavericks in scoring. It was the first time since 1999-2000 that someone on Dallas other than superstar Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with the highest scoring average for a season. Unfortunately for Dallas and Ellis, team chemistry plays a big role in the success of a team, too. And, Ellis’ disruptive attitude is having the opposite effect that the team wants.
Ellis will be entering the final season of his three-year, $25 million contract. However, the Mavericks have no intentions of paying him the $8.7 million that he is due. It is a truly regretful situation because he is an incredibly talented player who can score and create opportunities for other players on offense. Not to mention, it is quite clear he has been a big reason why Dallas has been able to find success and make the playoffs the past two seasons.
Even though the Mavericks may miss out on scoring chances, it is clearly in their best interest to move on. Dallas intends to go bigger at shooting guard, with rumors of signing Wesley Matthews or Danny Green in free agency. The Mavericks also want to use Chandler Parsons in a point forward role, which means getting a bigger shooting guard who can defend well to accompany him.
If a team is interested in a trade, Dallas wants nothing more than a draft pick in return for Ellis.
Michael Terrill is a Senior Writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelTerrill, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
