The Dallas Mavericks’ weakness has been exposed in the Western Conference Finals vs. the Warriors.
Trailing 3-0 entering Tuesday’s Game 4 in Big D, Mark Cuban’s Mavericks need a 7-foot, rim-protecting, shot-blocking center. The “Shark Tank” star needs a big shark to patrol the paint.
The Mavericks don’t have cap space this summer – just a $6.4 million taxpayer midlevel exception. Hence, there’s speculation Cuban and Knicks owner James Dolan could dance during free agency and try to put together a sign-and-trade package with Jalen Brunson and Mitchell Robinson as central characters.
Except, according to former Nets capologist and ESPN’s financial guru Bobby Marks, it’s a virtual mathematical impossibility.
As both Robinson and Brunson were second-round picks who signed minimum contracts, they will be considered base-year compensation players. An equal trade of salary money can’t be done, even if the players’ new actual wages match exactly.
The math can’t work because their new salaries count differently in sign-and-trade scenarios. For instance, Brunson’s projected $20 million salary would count as $10 million coming into the Knicks.
At the NBA Draft Combine, Marks said it was “close to impossible’’ to make it work.
“I have never seen two base-year players traded for each other on a sign-and-trade,‘’ Marks said. “It’s like putting together a Rubik’s cube. One side might work but not the other.‘’
Another issue is the Mavericks are so close to the hard cap even without Brunson. According to CBA rules, Dallas can’t go over the $157 million hard cap in a sign-and-trade and are already at $153 million without Brunson. They’d have to trade some bodies first.
Marks said the best-case scenario is having other players substituted for Robinson in a sign-and-trade with Dallas. Marks said a Cam Reddish/Kemba Walker package, plus giving the Mavericks back their 2023 first-round pick could work.
But Marks doubts Dallas wants to take back players and a third team might be required to take the Knicks players.
Meanwhile, Robinson’s free-agent market value may have intensified because of last week’s lottery results. The Pistons fell from a top-3 perch to No. 5. That puts Detroit out of range most for coveted 7-foot center Chet Holmgren.
An NBA source told The Post recently the Pistons would pursue Robinson if they don’t land Holmgren in the draft.
Before he hits July 1’s free agency, the Knicks can still sign an extension with Robinson at a max amount of four years, $55 million – or $13.7M per year. Robinson is a unique old-school center so beauty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to his worth in the center-diminished NBA.
‘I think there’s little chance he goes back, unless the market is not what he thinks it is or if the Knicks overpay,‘’ one NBA executive said.
Though Knicks president Leon Rose didn’t draft Robinson — the 7-footer is the pride and joy of GM Scott Perry — he would not rule out an agreement when he spoke on Apr. 10 to MSG Network.
“With Mitchell there has been ongoing discussions throughout the year with his agent and those discussions will continue, will continue for the remainder of the time til free agency,‘’ Rose said.
Robinson stayed healthy this season after being injury-plagued his first three seasons. But one thing to bear in mind is when the Knicks were at their winning peak last season, Nerlens Noel was starting center while Robinson rehabbed a broken…
Read More: Mitchell Robinson-Jalen Brunson trade a Knicks pipe dream