The Dallas Mavericks made no draft choices on Thursday, but pulled the trigger on the biggest trade yet this offseason.
They re-acquired Tyson Chandler three years after foolishly letting him walk in free agency. Raymond Felton also came from New York as the Mavs sent Samuel Dalembert, Jose Calderon, Shane Larkin and Wayne Ellington to Madison Square Garden.
Oklahoma City ended up with the Mavs' first-round pick this year and they dealt two second-rounders to the Knicks in the Chandler trade. Larkin was last year's first-round pick and he showed serious promise.
Dallas is going all in again this year in free agency. The Mavs cling to aspirations of LeBron James, or Carmelo Anthony. Problem is, they have whiffed in that market in recent years.
The Mavs improved themselves and did so with reasonable contracts and players who have something to prove. After giving the San Antonio Spurs their toughest challenge in the postseason, their reunion with Chandler should pay off in the playoffs this year.
At some point, they do need to make some picks and consider the future.
Grade: B
[SportsNetwork.com]
