Mavericks snag Marion in complex four-team deal
DALLAS — The way Jerry Stackhouse’s contract was structured, the Dallas Mavericks knew they could parlay him into a key player for next season. As it turned out, a lot of teams benefited.
The Mavericks, Raptors, Grizzlies and Magic combined in a massive swap Thursday that included eight players, a draft pick and stacks of cash. The deal sent Shawn Marion to Dallas, Stackhouse to Memphis and helped seal the transaction that moved Hedo Turkoglu from Orlando to Toronto.
Among the other pieces: Forward Kris Humphries, center Nathan Jawai and cash went from Toronto to Dallas; guard Greg Buckner moves from Memphis to Dallas; and swingmen Antoine Wright and Devean George go from Dallas to Toronto.
Memphis also received a second-round pick and cash from Toronto and cash from Dallas. The Mavericks and Raptors both also sent cash to Orlando.
The Magic were going to lose Turkoglu anyway. After Orlando acquired Vince Carter, Turkoglu opted out of his contract and became a free agent. He’d already decided to go to Toronto, but turning his departure into a sign-and-trade glued together the rest of this complex puzzle.
“So many things were going on that I was like, ‘Just sit back and wait until it happens,’” Marion said. “I’m just happy to come to Dallas.”
Dallas gets Marion, a four-time All-Star nicknamed “The Matrix” for his do-it-all game, in hopes that he’ll be a great complement to a starting lineup featuring Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Josh Howard.
Phelps breaks world record in 100-meter butterfly
INDIANAPOLIS — Michael Phelps broke the world record in the 100-meter butterfly at the U.S. national championships Thursday, just two months after returning from a suspension that was part of the longest layoff of his career.
The 14-time Olympic gold medalist swam the two-lap final in 50.22 seconds at the Indiana University Natatorium. He lowered Ian Crocker’s mark of 50.40 set at the 2005 world championships in Montreal.
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