Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards Complete Seven-Player Swap

Sports News - February 14th, 2010 - Written By John Ritter

The Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards have finalized a seven-player swap that sends Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood to Dallas.

According to ESPN, the NBA Transactions include Butler and Haywood going to the Mavericks along with DeShawn Stevenson, and Josh Howard and Drew Gooden to Washington. Quinton Ross and James Singleton were added to the deal later, and will also go to the Wizards.

"It makes us significantly better," Dallas owner Mark Cuban said.

Cuban is currently putting together the league All-Star game, but his team was busy working to acquire somebody before the trade deadline. Washington was looking to get younger and begin rebuilding with the season already essentially lost after suspending two players due the the famed gun dispute.

Dallas will pick up the tab on Stevenson's contract in the deal, but gets Haywood as a perk for it.

"Caron is an established professional and an All-Star with the ability to score from anywhere on the floor," said Donnie Nelson, Dallas' president of basketball operations. "Brendan will solidify our center position with athleticism, shot-blocking and defense. DeShawn has also shown that he can be a talented asset to this team."

Washington not only gets the youth it desired, but also gained much-needed cap relief in the deal. On a day which commissioner David Stern told reporters he believed the NBA was going to lose $400 million this fiscal year, some teams were simply looking to slim down if they weren't competing.

"We're all disappointed in how our season has gone. We need some freshness and we're getting proven players who will help us, and it gives us some flexibility down the road," Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said. "We want to remain competitive and maybe this group can provide a spark. The group had gotten stale, and we needed a change."

Washington is 17-33 this year, seven games out of a playoff spot. Butler averaged 16.9 points per game, and Haywood was the team-leader with 10.3 rebounds.

Howard has played his entire career in Dallas, with 431 career-games being the second-most among Mavericks current players upon the deal.

"Different teams go through different situations. The Mavs went through it in the '90s, the Wizards are going through some issues right now," Cuban said. "Sometimes giving guys a fresh home I think re-energizes them, and will work the other way, too. I think Josh will find himself re-energized with the Wizards."