Scotto: A lot of executives around the league expect either Dorian Finney-Smith or Jalen Brunson to be possibly on the move by the trade deadline since it’ll be tough for Dallas to keep both players going forward and avoid the luxury tax. Regarding Finney-Smith, several teams, including the Hawks, Trail Blazers, Pacers, Wizards, Pelicans, and others have kept tabs on him, I’m told.
Gozlan: They’re already set to be at the luxury tax heading into next season. As good as they’ve been recently, I don’t see them paying the tax unless they get another star. Re-signing one of these guys would require some reshuffling to stay below the tax next year. I’m sure the Mavericks are gauging what the market will look like for these guys right now. If they feel that they are going to get offers that are way more than they’re willing to spend or could get deals that they think could be negative values, I can see them moving on from them now.
Scotto: I’ve heard Jalen Brunson has some admirers in Detroit. They have cap space and are a team to keep an eye on towards the summer. If Dallas is able to enter the mix for Jerami Grant and acquire him, don’t be surprised if either Brunson or Finney-Smith is involved in a trade package. If Dallas is going to part with either player, they’re going to want an asset that helps them win now.