Mavericks Reach Tentative Trade Agreement

Deal in place sends Josh Howard, Drew Gooden, Quinton Ross and James Singleton to the Washington Wizards for Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Dallasnews.com reported it around 4 a.m. this morning, it appears as though Josh Howard is on his way out of Dallas.

While this isn't my first choice in return for swapping the disgruntled swing-man, Andre Iguoudala and Samuel Dalembert might have been a better and more talented pair, this might be the jump-start Dallas needs after going 10-11 in their last 21 games and having beaten only Golden State (twice) in their last seven games.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is a "win" trade from the Mavericks. Adding a somewhat-legitimate second-banana to team-up with Nowitzki in Caron Butler (16.9 points a game, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists), while getting rid of the enigmatic Howard (who is having his worst statistical season since his rookie year with 12.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.4 assists) is a win in itself. But when you throw in a beast like Brendan Haywood, while he is in a contract year, makes this trade extremely lopsided in Dallas' favor.

The biggest problem with the Mavericks defense lately has been the lack of a post-defender with Erick Dampier in-and-out of the starting line-up with a knee injury. Haywood is 7 feet tall and 263 pounds, averages 2.1 blocks per game (career 1.5) and averages double-digits rebounds at 10.3 per game. While he is somewhat like Dampier in that he averages only 6.3 rebounds for his career, he is on a one-year lease (just like Dampier) and the Mavs have the option after this season to let him go to another team with no financial burden to worry about.

In the deal Washington saves about $10 million for the Summer 2010 free-agency bonanza and $5 million worth of savings on the cap immediately. But it seems while the team is going to be saving some cash in this, one Bleacher Report writer thinks the Wiz should be feeling a bit sore on their back-side.

Good deal for Dallas, Mavs' fans hope this deal puts a spark back into the team and I think it will.

(UPDATE: It's officially a done-deal according to ESPN's Marc Stein.)