Jun. 29--FRISCO -- The Dallas Mavericks received plenty of grief for not moving up in the NBA draft, but for those who have doubts that the cost was prohibitive, Mark Cuban has an explanation.
"One of the teams drafting very high in the second round called and told us we could have their pick for $2 million and a second-rounder," Cuban said Saturday.
"It was outrageous. A team offered us half-a-million for [pick] 51, and we turned it down. People were asking, 'Why aren't you buying up?' We turned down half-a-million because we really, really like Shan."
The Mavericks selected Shan Foster with the 51st pick Thursday, electing not to fund another team's bank account to move up. In the past, early second-round picks have gone for $500,000. Sometimes, $250,000 got a deal done.
Five years ago, the Mavericks moved up five spots in the second round for the princely sum of $10,000.
Clearly, the draft is just as susceptible to inflation as everything else in life.
Cuban was taking part in the seventh annual Reebok Heroes Celebrity Baseball Game at Dr Pepper Ballpark, benefiting children's charities of the Heroes Foundation and the Mike Modano Foundation.
"I enjoy every minute out here," Cuban said as he wore the pinstriped uniform of the Red Socks with the dollar sign for his number. "It kind of reminds me of Dancing With the Stars because you feel that terror when they call your name.
"But it's for a great cause. The Little Heroes, it's become the largest inner-city sports organization in America. I'm proud to be a part of it."
Cuban said the Mavericks ended up getting three players they had targeted with the 51st pick. It was a little like the 2003 draft that produced Marquis Daniels as an undrafted free agent.
He said it is telling that teams were trying to sell a lot of second-round picks.
"Why were they offering? They're not stupid," Cuban said. "It was a deep draft going in. Then, there were a lot of name players that fell. We thought there might be five guys that we'd trade up for. A couple went and then Shan fell to us. Another one we were looking at [Tennessee's] JaJuan Smith [didn't get drafted and] is coming into camp. Reggie Williams [Virginia Military] is another.
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