Report: Mavs Targeting Tayshaun Prince, JR Smith

Dallas reportedly doesn’t think it has much of a chance at landing either player, but they’re still giving it a shot prior to today’s trade deadline. ESPN has the details: “The Dallas Mavericks plan to make last-ditch trade runs at Detroit’s Tayshaun Prince and Denver’s J.R. Smith before Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, sources close to the situation said. But Dallas isn’t optimistic about acquiring either player. Prince and Smith have always ranked high on the Mavericks’ trade wish list since Caron Butler’s season-ending injury Jan. 1, not only because of their respective skill sets but because both possess expiring contracts like Butler. The Pistons, though, have rebuffed every trade inquiry from Dallas — and every other team — for Prince. You can’t outright dismiss a last-minute change of heart with anyone this week after Utah stunned the league by dealing Deron Williams on Wednesday morning, but Prince himself sounds as pessimistic as anyone that the up-for-sale Pistons would suddenly consent to move him on deadline day when they’ve held out this long. The Chicago Bulls, meanwhile, are most frequently mentioned as the leading suitor for Denver’s Smith, but the Mavs would gladly gamble on the volatile swingman, too.”