Mavs’ Barea Lists Miami, Los Angeles, New York As Possible Destinations

During the 2011 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks made a trade to acquire Rudy Fernandez which could possibly make J.J. Barea – who is a free agent – expendable.

And although he would like to stay in Dallas, should the Mavericks not resign Barea, where would he like to play next?

Mavericks point guard J.J. Barea recently told Primera Hora’s Raul Alzaga that even though he would like to return to Dallas, he’d be open to playing in Miami, Los Angeles or New York.

There’s no denying Fernandez is a nice addition to the Mavericks. Fernandez brings youth to an aged roster, a swing man Dallas needs, a slasher, a proven NBA player, an added three-point threat and someone who can finish at the rim. Though he isn’t known for his defense, and although he can knock down a shot, he doesn’t have a stellar field goal percentage. Not to mention his public comments about his role with Portland which is of some concern if you are Dallas.

But going back to Barea, he was a spark plug for Dallas coming off the bench especially during their march to the NBA title.

He averaged 10.2 points per game during the NBA Finals but losing Barea would be detrimental for Dallas’ bench and what he brings to the Mavericks which cannot be measured on a stats sheet – toughness, energy, and is a “glue-guy.”

It’s a tough call for Dallas. Not only is Barea a free agent but so are Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler, DeShawn Stevenson, Brian Cardinal, and Peja Stojakovic.

Chandler and Butler will be resigned leaving Cardinal, Stevenson, and Stojakovic as expendable but with Barea upping his value with his performance in the playoffs, there is no doubting he will be looking for a long-term deal and a nice pay day.

But this is a team headed by Mark Cuban who will dish out the bucks to keep players if need be. Do not be surprised if Cuban does open his wallet a bit more to keep Barea regardless of the new CBA.

As for the teams Barea would like to go to, all three would get a significant upgrade at the point guard position. The Lakers are in desperate need for a point guard, the Knicks could use an injection of youth at the position seeing how Chauncey Billups might be on his last legs, and the Heat need a facilitator which Barea can be.

As they say, in the end, the NBA is a business.

(photo: daylife.com)

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