Dallas Mavericks to trade first round pick Tyler Zeller to Cleveland Cavaliers - NBA Update
Looking forward to the rebuilding process for next season, Dallas Maverick have decided to trade their 17th pick in this year`s draft into three selections from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Mavericks opted to draft University of North Carolina`s big man, Tyler Zeller with their first round pick and are going to move him over to the Cavaliers in exchange for their 24th pick.
The Texas based team will get guard, Jared Cunningham out of Oregon State who was drafted by the Cavaliers in the draft on Thursday night.
As part of the deal, Dallas will also get the 33rd and 34th selections in the second round which is currently owned by the Cavaliers, following an approval from the league regarding the trade.
The new strategy applied by general manager Donnie Nelson and owner Mark Cuban seems to be to build a comparatively younger team around Dirk Nowitzki.
Dallas had the most aged team in the NBA last season and following their early exit from the playoffs at the hands of Oklahoma City Thunder, have decided to make some wholesale changes.
Six Mavericks players are going to be free agents as of July 1st which includes the likes of veterans Jason Kidd and Jason Terry - both were present with Dallas roster when they won an NBA Championship.
So by acquiring a guard over from the Cavaliers, they are looking to move towards a slightly younger direction in the back court. Cunningham held an average of 17.9 points as a junior with the Beavers last season.
He was also able to muster up 91 steals last season, equalling the record of NBA great Gary Payton for most steals as a junior at college.
Some of the major changes taking place with the Dallas roster are Lamar Odom going out of the team to the Los Angeles Clippers, according to sources close to the matter.
The departure of Odom will allow the Mavericks some extra cap space which they can use to fulfil their year old pursuit of bringing in Deron Williams over from the Brooklyn Nets.
If the Williams deal does not materialize before the Olympics, Mavericks have been touted to pursue Steve Nash from Phoenix Suns as a backup plan.
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