Report: Mavericks, Clippers talking Mayo-Bledsoe trade

It's no secret that the Dallas Mavericks are looking for a new point guard.

And a new report says they have their eyes set on one playing for the Los Angeles Clippers.

No, not Chris Paul (who announced on Twitter on Monday about staying with the Clippers).

Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports that talks have taken place between Dallas and Los Angeles for a trade involving O.J. Mayo and Eric Bledsoe.

Mayo declined his player option with Dallas last week, making him a free agent. But the team can still work out a sign-and-trade scenario if they find a suitable partner, which Bledsoe and his $2.6 million contract are.

The report indicates that Mayo would command more than Bledsoe's current salary and that the Clippers would have to add another player to make the deal work, such as Matt Barnes.

Sefko reports that a trade for Bledsoe would not take Dallas out of the running to sign free-agent center Dwight Howard to a max contract, but it would make things more difficult to pull off a deal for Bledsoe should Howard sign.

Both teams have already been involved heavily in trade talks early during this offseason.

Bledsoe's name was mentioned as a piece the Boston Celtics coveted in the proposed trade that would have sent Doc Rivers and Kevin Durant to the Clippers for players and picks, but the Clippers refused to include Bledsoe in hopes of keeping him to use in another deal.

The Mavericks also have been reported to have talked to the Celtics about a deal for Boston guard Rajon Rondo.