Despite the rumors about Kevin Garnett and the whispers about Kobe Bryant, don’t expect the Dallas Mavericks’ roster to look noticeably different than the one that first-round flopped a couple months ago. That means no blockbuster trades. No mega-free-agent signings next month. And no fireworks in tonight’s NBA Draft. The Mavs have three picks, but at Nos. 34, 50 and 60, they’ll likely nab projects that won’t make significant contributions in Dallas until Ocean’s 16 hits theaters.
It’s the deepest draft in years, but after Portland takes Ohio State center Greg Oden at No. 1 and Seattle settles on Texas’ Kevin Durant at No. 2, the rest will be little more than multi-million-dollar window dressing. Sure, the Mavs -- who acquired both Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash on a most memorable draft night in ’98 -- could move up, but this quote from GM Donnie Nelson hardly motivates us to schedule dinner plans around Dallas’ picks: “We're just going to draft.” --Richie Whitt
