NBA Rumors: Mark Cuban admits to trading Mavs who 'smoke too much'

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban recently appeared on Patrick Beverley's podcast and made comments that are sure to cause a stir. The TV-famous entrepreneur touted the importance of team culture and admitted to trading players who "smoke too much" as an example of making on-court sacrifices for the betterment of the collective.

Cuban went on to make the distinction between smoking and smoking too much, indicating that he only trades players who go overboard and risk dragging other members of the team down with them.

While Cuban may be the only owner bold enough to say it publicly, he's definitely not alone in his approach here. The opposite is oftentimes true too — NBA teams will overlook grave misdeeds from great players — but if a simple rotation player is disrupting the peace, so to speak, the majority of NBA owners would probably take the same steps as Cuban.

One has to imagine Cuban will draw a fair amount of criticism in the days to come. The NBA recently abandoned its drug-testing policy on marijuana and states around the U.S. have legalized it. To trade players because they smoke "too much" is a slippery slope with a lot of grey area. Cuban's commitment to team culture is admirable, but it's fair to wonder how strong his grasp is on what actually improves the locker room environment and the relationships between players.

NBA Rumors: Brandon Ingram benched by Team USA, explained

Team USA advanced to 3-0 in FIBA World Cup play with a victory over Jordan on Wednesday. While the game was never particularly close (110-62 final score), there was a notable development on the lineup front. Steve Kerr moved Brandon Ingram to the bench and started Josh Hart in his place.

On the surface, that could be read as a strong indictment on Ingram. Hart doesn't even start for the Knicks, how is he starting over the Pelicans' All-Star? Ingram's stock took a hit following New Orleans' disappointing season and now he's being demoted.

That impetus for the change, however, isn't a particular shortcoming on Ingram's part. It's all about combinations.

"We just felt like it was important to take a look at Josh with the starting group and Brandon with the next group to see if the combinations fit," Kerr told reporters, per Hoops Rumors. "I liked what I saw. The game wasn't competitive, but there was good flow with both groups."

Ingram added to Kerr's statement with his own interpretation of events.

"They thought it was a better fit for me playing with Tyrese [Haliburton] and playing with some guys that are a little less ball dominant than Jalen [Brunson] and Ant," Ingram told Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports. "They just talked about it being a better fit, and I agreed with them."

Rather than getting caught up in the direct comparison between Ingram and Hart — Ingram is, without question, the "better" player in a vacuum — it's important to consider fit and other factors. Hart played with fellow starters Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges at Villanova. There's built-in familiarity. A natural "flow," as Kerr put it.

Meanwhile, Ingram is a talented playmaker who can lean into his on-ball strengths more with the second unit. Tyrese Haliburton dribbles far less than Brunson or Anthony Edwards. He's a rapid-fire passer whose main goal is to set up his teammates. That's a better running mate for Ingram.

In the end, the U.S. squad will be favorites in every game no matter who starts. That said, the margin for error is lower than normal and Kerr is clearly unafraid to tinker with lineups to maximize the groups on the floor.

NBA Rumors: Jayson Tatum tried (and failed) to recruit Damian Lillard to Celtics

NBA insider Marc Spears recently appeared on the 'Sports by Northwest' podcast to discuss Damian Lillard's ongoing trade saga. He spoke at length about why Lillard so strongly prefers the Miami Heat. He also noted Jayson Tatum's (failed) attempt to talk Lillard into the Boston Celtics.

"I know Jayson Tatum has called him, try to get in his ear, but his focus is definitely on Miami," said Spears.

Before Jaylen Brown signed his massive extension — and became trade ineligible for a year — Lillard made a ton of sense for Boston. The Celtics have been on the championship doorstep several times, but have failed to get over the hump on every occasion. Lillard is an immediate upgrade over Brown and a better fit stylistically with Tatum.

Now, Brown can't be traded until next summer. The Celtics have other pieces, but not nearly enough draft capital or young talent to pique Portland's interest. And, for reasons laid out by Spears, Boston simply isn't of interest to Lillard. He's not allowed to publicly proclaim a one-team wishlist anymore, but it's well-documented that Lillard only has eyes for the Heat.

"He's kind of got that kind of like military basketball mentality," said Spears. "He wants to work. Also, the stability of the organization, the winning, like they've been to the Finals what, seven times since 2006? Obviously, Bam, and Jimmy helps, no State tax helps, sunshine helps. "

Of course Lillard wants to go to Miami. Who doesn't? Spears would later predict that Lillard ends up with the Heat before training camp.