The Dallas Mavericks have acquired 26-year old shooting guard Rudy Fernandez along with the rights to SG/PG Petteri Koponen, who was drafted by the Blazers in 2007 for essentially both of the Mavericks’ draft picks.  Those picks were forward Jordan Hamilton out of Texas (he was dealt to the Denver Nuggets) and forward Tanguy Ngombo (he was dealt to the Blazers).  Fernandez played in 78 games (3 starts) for the Trailblazers last year and he averaged 23.3 minutes, 8.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game.  He has now played in 218 games (9 starts) in his first three years in the NBA and he averaged 24.1 minutes, 9.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  This was a good deal for the Mavericks as Fernandez should be able to help them right away, while Hamilton and Ngombo were going to take a little while to be ready to help the team.  As part of this deal, the Blazers dealt a future second round pick to the Nuggets along with point guard Andre Miller for point guard Raymond Felton.

With Tyson Chandler a free agent, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see the Mavericks spend a pick on a center on Thursday Night.  The Mavericks own the #26 and #57 picks in Thursday’s NBA Draft.  If center Jordan Williams is available at #26, I see the Mavericks  seriously considering taking him.  I also think that SG LaceDarius Dunn out of Baylor will be considered.  The Mavericks will likely take the best available player with the 57th overall pick.

The Mavericks shot 50% from the floor last night and it helped them beat the pesky Blazers in Portland.  Dirk Nowitzki led the way for the Mavericks in this game with 33 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 blocked shot.  Jason Terry (22 points, 3 rebounds and 8 assists) and Shawn Marion (16 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist) also pitched in for the Mavericks last night.  The Mavericks won this series 4-2 and they will now have to play the Lakers in the second round of the playoffs, starting on Sunday in L.A.

The Mavericks picked 22-year old center Solomon Alabi with the 50th overall pick of the NBA Draft. They then shipped him to the Raptors for a future second round pick and cash considerations. Alabi played in 77 games (68 starts) in his three years in college and he averaged 9.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 2.1 blocked shots per game. The Mavericks probably made this trade to recoup some of the cash they spent to acquire SG Dominique Jones from the Grizzlies.

The Mavericks have acquired 21-year old shooting guard Dominique Jones (#25 overall) from the Grizzlies for cash considerations. Jones played in 33 games (all starts) at South Florida last season and he averaged 21.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He played in 95 games (94 starts) in his career with the Bulls and he averaged 18.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The Mavericks got one of the best offensive players in the draft so it was money well spent.

The Mavericks only have one pick (#50 overall) in tomorrow night’s NBA Draft. The Mavericks will be a very veteran driven team so they should just take the best player available tomorrow night and run with it. When free agency opens next weekend the Mavericks will be a team to watch as I believe they have a real interest in trading for LeBron James.

The Mavericks have sent the 57th overall pick (2nd round) of the NBA Draft to the Pacers to complete the trade that sent Eddie Jones and Shawne Williams to the Mavs. The Mavericks decided to trade this years pick because it was so late in the second round. The Mavericks were going to have to give up their 2nd round pick to the Pacers either this year or next year so it made sense to do it now and get it over with.

The Dallas Mavericks selected 22-year old power forward Ahmad Nivins with the #56 pick in the NBA Draft. Nivins played in 126 games in his 4 seasons at St. Joseph’s in which he averaged 14.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. Nivins should be able to give the Mavericks solid minutes off the bench in 2009-2010 and maybe much more down the road.

The Mavericks acquired Nick Calathes from the Timberwolves on Draft Night. Calathes played in 72 games in two seasons at Florida and he averaged 16.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He could back up and learn from Jason Kidd if the Mavericks bring him back. This was a solid move for the Mavericks.

The Mavericks acquired 21-year old shooting guard Rodrique Beaubois last night in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Beaubois is strictly a offensive minded player. He played in 54 games in three seasons in France and he averaged 7.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. Beaubois did shoot 58.8% from the floor in France but he will be a longshot to play a lot of minutes as a rookie as he appears to have a lot to learn yet.