The Mechanics - And Players - In A Mavs Trade With Thunder

The Mechanics - And Players Available - In A Dallas Mavs Blockbuster Trade With Thunder

DALLAS - Two centerpiece dominoes in a series of potential NBA trades belong to the OKC Thunder and their efforts to move on from Chris Paul. There are is a spider web of transactions that can be tied to that one, and to the Dennis Schroder trade as well.

But a secondary player in talks, sources tell DallasBasketball.com, are the Dallas Mavericks, looking to surf off an OKC trade by serving as a facilitator ... with possible opportunities to net a player/asset from a basket that includes Danny Green, Kelly Oubre, Danilo Gallinari and Ricky Rubio, and the No. 10 pick in the NBA Draft as well.

Part of OKC's effort to change its roster is about dumping Paul. That's still a conversation. Another part is about moving Dennis Schroder to the Lakers in exchange for a package of the No. 28 pick in this week's NFL Draft and Danny Green, which seems to be a done deal. (The NBA trade season officially opens Monday morning.)

The rumor is that OKC may not wish keep Green, long a Dallas target. Dallas can get involved there in multiple ways.

Walking through this ... OKC can buy out Green for $6 million (so Green walks away from $9.35 mil knowing he will make that up when Dallas signs him to a one-year MLE deal). So, he’s even with where he started, and OKC has now paid $6 mil for the 28th pick.

But, if Mavs owner Mark Cuban writes a $5 mil check to OKC, then OKC has only paid $1 mil for the 28th pick (which is about the going rate).

The trick is that Dallas and OKC have to be involved in another deal in which Dallas can write OKC that check, because the buyout/MLE isn’t a trade.

This is where the possibilities open wide.

The Mavs can be part of Paul to Phoenix by taking back Oubre (or Rubio) and writing that check. Or, the Mavs could make the transaction a Gallinari sign-and-trade.

READ MORE: Could Mavs Net Oubre From 4-Way Chris Paul Trade?

READ MORE: NBA Free Agency: Mavs Like Gallinari, But at What Price?

Dallas can skip the buyout process and simply offer, say, Delon Wright, a minor contract and pick No. 31 for Green.

Another prize in this process is the Suns' first-round pick (10th). We believe Dallas' desire to get a more premium pick in the draft is all about flipping it for veteran help.

In the end, Dallas' work in "helping'' OKC is about Dallas helping itself. There are ways for the Mavs to weave their way through this spider web to add a top-of-the-rotation asset. And the dominoes are about to fall.