Dallas Mavericks' second-year point guard Dennis Smith Jr. is reportedly the focal point of trade talks within the organization, according to a report by ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to Woj, the Mavs are "escalating discussions" to find a trade partner and the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns have engaged in talks about the 21-year old guard.
Smith, who was selected 9th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, averaged 15.2 points and 5.2 assists during his rookie campaign but his numbers have dropped to 12.6 and 3.9 so far this season. He has missed three straight games with what the team is describing as a sore back.
In addition to exploring deals for DSJ, the Mavericks are hoping to strike a deal that would include veteran forward Wes Matthews, who is making $18.6 million in the final year of his contract, according to ESPN.
Another important piece of the Smith trade rumors is the fact that Dallas' rookie sensation Luka Doncic has thrived, averaging 20.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5 assists per night.
According to ESPN, Doncic and Smith average only 100.9 points per 100 possessions in 687 minutes this season, while Doncic and rookie guard Jalen Brunson average 106.9 in 328 minutes and Doncic and J.J. Barea were 112.6 in 232 minutes.
Thru 43 games this season the Mavs are 20-23, which has them among the bottom three teams in the Western Conference. That said, they're just three games back of the eighth-seeded Utah Jazz.
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