Report: Mavs will target Spurs' Danny Green in free agency

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The Dallas Mavericks may turn to a division rival in their quest to replace Monta Ellis.

With Ellis opting out of his 2015-16 player option on Wednesday and the Mavs not expected to attempt to re-sign the shooting guard, Real GM's Shams Charania reports that Dallas is targeting San Antonio Spurs starter Danny Green.

Green, a pending unrestricted free agent, has spent five of his six NBA seasons with the Spurs after a debut season in Cleveland. The 28-year-old has established himself as one of the league's premier 3-and-D wing players in San Antonio and posted career-highs across the board this season, averaging 11.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, two assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks in more than 28 minutes per game.

Green's fit makes sense given ESPN's Tim MacMahon's report that the Mavs will look to replace Ellis with a bigger two-guard who poses more of a 3-point threat. Green is just that - a 6-foot-6 guard who has shot better than 41 percent from deep in four consecutive seasons - but he's also not the ball handler that Ellis is, and the offense can't be run through him.

The Spurs should be considered the favorite to retain Green, with Charania reporting that he has a strong desire to return to the team he won a title with last June.