Three Trades for the Mavericks to Consider this Season
Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
The Dallas Mavericks are off to a rough start which may prime them for a blockbuster trade at some point this season.
The Mavericks are 6-19 this season. While injuries clearly are the biggest culprit to the team’s awful start, it cannot be ignored that the Mavs are a team largely lacking in major NBA talent outside of a solid starting five. Rick Carlisle has been forced to shuffle his lineups around again and again, only being able to use Harrison Barnes as a truly impactful player consistently.
First, what assets do the Mavs have? For the first time in years, the Mavs roster is comprised of mostly younger talent on contracts that can be unloaded to teams looking for one more piece to the championship puzzle.
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Deron Williams, Devin Harris, and Andrew Bogut are the three veterans that Dallas would probably like to unload the most, for their injury histories and lack of production through the first 25 games. These issues have led to extreme doubt over how effective they can be over an 82 game season.
The Mavs also have some young talent that could be used as trade ammo. Dwight Powell, Justin Anderson and Seth Curry would appeal to some teams, especially if the Mavs could pair them with one of the aforementioned veterans.
The only players that the Mavs should deem “untouchable”, are Harrison Barnes, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Dirk Nowitzki. Barnes’ value to the team is obvious, as he has been the Mavs best player by light years and is just twenty-four years old.
Finney-Smith should be retained because of his incredible defensive ability and has even pleasantly surprised Rick Carlisle with some smooth handles on the offensive end. Nowitzki is Nowitzki.
That being said, here are three trades the Mavericks could look into in the future, if the time is right.
1.Deron Williams, 2017 second-round pick to the Raptors for Terrence Ross
This trade oddly makes sense for both teams. The Raptors need scoring from someone other than DeMar DeRozan, and while Kyle Lowry has been supplying some offense, more is needed from the bench. Deron Williams could come in and supply Dwane Casey with a scoring minded guard who can also play off the ball with Cory Joseph.
The Mavs, meanwhile, would be acquiring a player that the Raptors don’t seem to want anymore, as they have gradually decreased Ross’s minutes as he has struggled with his shooting touch. The Mavs would add youth, athleticism, and even more of a defensive mentality for the future.
2. Deron Williams, Justin Anderson, 2017 first round pick to Heat for Goran Dragic
Deron Williams is not an Erik Spoelstra type of player, but Justin Anderson certainly is. The Heat’s poor start to the year and Dragic’s looming cloud of trade rumors suggests that the heat are completely ready to let Hassan Whiteside take over the team.
While the Mavs would prefer to not part with the first-rounder, putting Dragic alongside Barnes is a very solid mix of both offense and defense for the Mavs.
3. Wesley Matthews, Deron Williams, Dwight Powell, 2017 first-round pick, cash considerations to the Kings for DeMarcus Cousins, Ben McLemore
This is the one everyone wants to see. The Kings simply need to move on from Boogie. The distraction that he has become is toxic for a team trying to move up the ranks in the Western Conference.
The Kings have shown interest in Deron Williams and Wesley Matthews in the past, and would love to bring in a lottery pick to unload their biggest burden. For Dallas, they could simply hit the reset button with this deal.
Cousins and Barnes is a fantastic way to begin building a roster for the future and Ben McLemore’s underrated scoring off the bench can only help. The youth movement has to continue in Dallas, and if they can get it in the form of DeMarcus Cousins, then Dallas may finally have their legs underneath them for a strong rebuild.
All of these trades are ones the Mavericks could consider, but different situations for the team will ultimately decide how Mark Cuban and Rick Carlisle decide to approach the trade market. Will we pay out for a Cousins? Or make small improvements with a Ross?
