The Dallas Mavericks (16-8) sit in fourth place in the Western Conference and one NBA superstar has the team on his shortlist of trade destinations according to NBA Insider Shams Charania.
The player in question is Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler who can and is expected to opt out of his contract at the end of the season.
The Heat are willing to listen to offers despite sitting in the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 12-10. Butler, a Houston native, listed two Texas teams on his list of three teams he was willing to be traded.
The three teams were the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors and Mavs with the latter two being top contenders in the Western Conference and the Rockets in the midst of a breakout season.
According to the report, Butler is said to prioritize contending for a championship above any other criteria.
Butler is in his 14th year in the league, and his sixth with the Miami Heat, and will be 36 by the start of the next NBA season.
Over his career, Butler has earned six all-star selections, five All-NBA selections and five All-NBA Defensive team selections.
The Mavs currently have PJ Washington, Naji Marshall and Maxi Kleber in their forward positions with Marshal averaging career highs in scoring (11.6), minutes (24.4) and field goal percentage (44.2%).
The Mavs have reportedly had interest in Butler though the financial burdens of his contract could make a trade difficult.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Lawrence Dow is a digital sports reporter from Philadelphia. He graduated with a Master’s degree in journalism from USC. He’s passionate about movies and is always looking for a great book. He covers the Texas Rangers and other sports.