Why The Dallas Mavericks Do The Deal 

The Mavericks can justify this deal in a couple of different ways. Firstly, they may not want to pay Wood.

By contrast, they’re more likely to be comfortable paying Richardson. He won’t command any astronomical price. They could re-sign him while adding needed wing depth as they deal with Reggie Bullock’s concerning regression.

Richardson is also a valuable role player. That’s the other catch for the Mavericks here. Flipping Wood for Richardson could actually make them better. 

After all, this team is starved for secondary ball handling. Richardson provides it while also offering a solid 3-and-D skillset. That sounds like a player worth paying to us. 

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Christian Wood, Dallas Mavericks & Golden State Warriors Updates

However, there’s also the concern that Richardson played a season with the Mavericks and went so poorly they opted to bench him during a playoff series… Under new management and prove to be different coaching staff, perhaps things are different.