NBA Trade Deadline: How the Mavs (Again) Almost Got Danny Green

NBA Trade Deadline: How the Dallas Mavericks Worked With the Los Angeles Laker And (Again) Almost Got Danny Green

DALLAS - The Romantic Tale of Danny Green and the Dallas Mavericks can be written in three chapters.

CHAPTER 1: SUMMER LOVIN’ (HAPPENED SO SLOW): The Dallas Mavericks waited ... and waited ... and waited ... so focused on luring Danny Green in free agency - fresh off his title run in Toronto - that we feared they might've missed out on other potential "gets'' during their period of patience.

#NBAFreeAgency scoop: League sources suggest to https://t.co/NVriu7PM4m that #Mavs are showing interest in closing deals on both Danny Green and Marcus Morris ... Green is the next big domino to fall. pic.twitter.com/9g8ear6bnI

— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) July 2, 2019

They knew all along that Green's decision was based on Raptors teammate Kawhi Leonard's decision. If Kawhi went to the Lakers, Green would be elbowed out there and would settle for his second suitor ... he would be coming to Dallas. But when Kawhi instead went across th street and chose the Clippers, that left room for Green to sign a two-year $30 million deal with his No. 1 choice, the Lakers.

The Mavericks wanted Green. Tried. Waited. Failed.

CHAPTER 2: A LOVE TRIANGLE: On Tuesday, DallasBasketball.com responded to the news out of L.A. that both the Lakers and Clippers were having trade conversations with the Knicks about about Marcus Morris. It was reported that in one form of the swap, the Knicks would need a third team and a Danny Green taker.

Lakers/Clippers in trade conversations about Knicks' Marcus Morris, sources. NY interested in Kyle Kuzma; would need Danny Green's contract to make work. NY would want to move Green to another team. Clippers willing to part with Mo Harkless, but like Landry Shamet, who NY wants.

— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) February 5, 2020

Our response: Wait. The Los Angeles Lakers might need to deal away Danny Green? And the New York Knicks' involvement would mean the inclusion of a third team?

Is anybody aware of a "third team'' that during the summer put free agency on hold for the specific purpose of waiting until Green made up his mind (ultimately picking L.A. over Dallas)? - Fish 4 pm, Feb 5.

We didn't do a great deal of sleuthing here. It was apparent where this thing could go ...

CHAPTER 3: THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY: But then at the deadline, it seems the Lakers pulled Kuzma off the table, meaning Green wouldn't be involved. The Knicks then went in the other direction, giving up Morris and getting back a first-rounder from the Clippers, with the Wizards jumping in as the third-team helper.

What was Dallas going to sacrifice for Green? The same thing that's been on the table in most every Mavs proposal for seven months: Courtney Lee's $12 mil of ballast and a second-round pick (the DMN says it would've been the Warriors second-rounder.)

The Mavs don't get anybody at the NBA Trade Deadline, but they get points, we suppose, for their persistence. As our Dalton Trigg writes in response to this latest fling, "Find you someone that’s as patient with you as the Mavs are for Danny Green.''