MIAMI CLEARS CAP SPACE, DEALS McBOB TO DALLAS
The Dallas Mavericks acquired center/forward Josh McRoberts, a second-round draft pick in 2023 and cash considerations from the Miami Heat for center AJ Hammons.
What does it give the Dallas Mavericks
This is a hard deal to get very excited about for Dallas fans. While 'McBob' is an underrated, athletic, and starter-capable big man, he is not a star and likely not a major difference-maker for a team that seems stuck in limbo between contending and rebuilding. Although his fairly-affordable salary (in the $6 million range) makes him a solid value for a potential starter, McRoberts shouldn't be expected to make the Mavs much more competitive than they were last season.
What does it give the Miami Heat
This deal achieves one key thing for Miami: it helps cut almost $5 million in cap space. Hammons is an intriguing but raw talent at center, and while he probably won't play much in the coming campaign he's the type of athletic and underrated player the Heat tends to develop well.
Fantasy impact
If the Mavs decide aging superstar Dirk Nowitzki is better coming off the bench next season, McRoberts has a chance to start at either power forward or center for Dallas. If that happens, he's fantasy-worthy as a pickup because he can be a fairly productive scorer and rebounder (if healthy and getting solid minutes). His arrival in Dallas probably hurts the fantasy chances of underrated big man Salah Mejri. Hammons likely won't see significant minutes anytime soon for Miami, so there's no fantasy fallout on the Heat side of this swap.
