Quick note to the MFFL masses: Thanks for keeping the conversation going over the last few weeks. I've come to a couple conclusions after skimming through the comments made during my vacation: 1) The passion for the Mavs does not take a summer break; 2) the possibility of a sign-and-trade for Josh Smith is a hot topic.

The Mavs have made it clear that they won't get rid of Josh Howard just for the sake of doing so. They snickered at a bunch of lowball offers before the draft and turned down Sacramento's proposed Howard-for-Ron Artest deal. (However, as we learned during the Jason Kidd talks, just because trade discussions are declared dead doesn't mean that's true.)

You could argue that getting Artest would be good value for Howard. After all, Artest is an elite defender who averaged 20 ppg last season. But, given Artest's baggage and Howard's talent, the Mavs not pulling the trigger is certainly understandable.

The swap of Joshes? A no-brainer from the Mavs' perspective. As I wrote in May, Smith is a 22-year-old whose phenomenal athleticism would make him a great fit in the Jason Kidd-led fast-break lanes, and he'd be a franchise cornerstone for the foreseeable future.

And Smith, a restricted free agent, has made it clear he'd rather not return to Atlanta. However, as friend of this here blog Marc Stein pointed out on ESPN.com, Smith has precious little leverage against the Hawks. Stein thinks the sign-and-trade chatter will heat up, and he believes a Smith/Howard swap makes sense.

But that's all we have at this point: speculation. No smoke, no fire.

Of course, speculation makes the blogosphere go 'round, so feel free to chime in with your thoughts on whether the Mavs should make this happen. Donnie Nelson and Mark Cuban have my permission to make a run at Smith.