Remember how Mark Cuban slammed Yao Ming? Remember how he "wouldn't give up Finley for Yao Ming, that's a ridiculous idea" (paraphrase)? And of course the more recent Wang ZhiZhi semi-disappearance, which made some of us suspicious. I copied this from ESPN Insider: -------------------------------- Q: With so many quality foreign players in the draft and Don Nelson's extensive knowledge of them, I cannot see Mark Cuban and Nellie simply sitting and watching them go to other teams. Any chance that the Mavs make a trade (Michael Finley, Nick Van Exel) to get into the first round? -- Jay, Plano, Texas FORD: They are working very quietly, Jay. They have tried, unsuccessfully, to interject themselves into the Yao Ming sweepstakes. Forget Cuban's comments about Yao not being as good as Shawn Bradley. The Mavs would love to have him. Their main target now is Nene Hilario. The comparisons to Ben Wallace have them drooling. The team is desperate for a tough, low-post presence who isn't afraid to get nasty down low. Nene is a project offensively, but with the Mavs' multitude of weapons, they don't need him to do anything but run the floor, crash the glass and swat shots. Would teams like the Grizzlies, Nuggets or Cavs be willing to give up the No. 5 pick for Finley? They're making the phone calls. --------------------------------------- Cuban can't have him. Some of us thought he was playing a game with Wang ZhiZhi so that we couldn't get him either; Chicago is easier for him to deal with than us. Just something for us "Cubans-Mafia-military industrial complex-on-the-grassy-knoll" conspiracy theorists.
