After losing to the LA Clippers on Wednesday night, the Dallas Mavericks are off to a respectable 16-11 start, with many of their recent arrivals elevating their play.
Dereck Lively II, despite his current injury, has been the team’s third-best rookie player, while Dante Exum has been playing fantastically over the past several games.
The Mavs appear to be a team that could be involved in trades at the deadline despite everything.
Organizing each Dallas Mavericks player according to trade possibility
They have a few holes in their roster and need to add at least one or two more players to be a contender in the NBA Finals.
This is a really entertaining club, but after the trading deadline, I don’t think it will look the same. Each player on the Dallas Mavericks roster is broken down here, and their trade likelihood is ranked from least likely to most likely to be traded.
15. Doncic Luka
Under no circumstances do I see the Mavs moving Luka Doncic, who is maybe having the finest season of his career.
Doncic is averaging 32.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 9.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 48.5 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three point range a game this season. He has established himself as one of the front-runners for MVP, and he seems like a lifelong Maverick to me.
If Dallas ever wanted to trade Doncic, they might receive one of the greatest returns in history, but I think he will be the team’s star for many years to come. At barely 24 years old, he is only beginning to explore the NBA, and one day he may rank among the game’s greatest players ever.
Luka has the kind of talent that you can’t afford to trade, and the Mavs need to keep surrounding him with the right players to keep him happy and the club competitive. It’s obvious that Doncic’s first priority is winning, and if he can’t achieve it in Dallas, he might want to move on to another place where he can.
Although Doncic put an end to the trade speculations that were circulating about him during the previous season, anything may happen.
14. Dereck Lively II
Dereck Lively II is now the third most essential player on the Dallas Mavericks after just a few months, and one could argue that he is the second most vital player after only Luka Doncic.
Lively II has exceeded expectations and becoming the Mavs’ go-to starting center. He is scoring 8.9 points, pulling down 7.7 rebounds, dishing out 1.1 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 0.7 steals a game this season. He has performed admirably in his capacity and has at last provided the Mavs with a rim protector.
Lively II is so vital to the team that the Mavs cannot afford to move him. This season, Dallas has not prevailed in a game that Lively II has missed. This demonstrates how Dallas performs significantly better when he is on the court and how badly their post defense suffers when he is off the court.
This clearly indicates that Dallas requires a backup rim protector, but it also highlights Lively II’s unique qualities.
Lively II has performed admirably in each of his games against Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, the two front-runners for Rookie of the Year. In every one of those games, he outperformed them both, and he never backs down.
With Lively II, the Mavs may have a franchise building brick on their hands. In my opinion, he is practically untouchable for Dallas.
13. Kyrie Irving
This February, the Dallas Mavericks executed one of the largest transactions in the team’s history when they dealt Kyrie Irving to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie.
Luka Doncic now has a co-star thanks to this trade, and this offseason, Dallas re-signed Irving to a three-year contract. This demonstrates the front office’s level of confidence in the Doncic and Irving team, and I anticipate Irving staying in Dallas to complete his deal.
Irving has made no secret of how much he enjoys playing in Dallas, and the Mavs would be foolish to trade him given their excellent roster surrounding him and Doncic. Irving’s trade at the trade deadline would seriously impede Dallas’s chances of contending for a championship this season.
Everyone would get along better with the person they exchanged him for, which would alter the team’s dynamic as a whole. It takes time to get used to new teammates, as we seen with the Irving trade from the previous campaign.
Irving has established himself as a vital member of this team, and the Mavs don’t have time to waste.
Fans are eager for Irving to recover from his foot injury because they believe that he and Doncic are the team that everyone predicted them to be last year.
12. Williams, Grant
This summer, the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs were the two teams with which the Dallas Mavericks struck a major trade and signing agreement.
Grant Williams and two second-round picks were acquired by Dallas in exchange for Reggie Bullock and a first-round pick from the Spurs. Williams provided the Mavs with the big-bodied forward they needed to stretch the floor and guard a variety of positions.
Despite his recent struggles, Williams averages 9.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.5 blocks, and 40 percent shooting from three point range per game. Despite this severe decline, he is still shooting 39.5 percent from downtown, and his development could be essential to Dallas’ success.
Maxi Kleber’s toe injury has kept him out of the game for a long time, thus Williams has had to step up a lot in the frontcourt. Being one of the few players in Dallas with the necessary size and strength to compete in the post, he is playing a career-high 29.4 minutes per game.
Given how crucial Williams is to their defensive strategy and the fact that they recently signed him, I don’t see Dallas moving him. If Williams doesn’t start to shoot better, things might change, but this team can’t afford to lose him this quickly since he is too important to them both on and off the court.
11. Dante Exum
The majority of fans were taken aback when the Dallas Mavericks signed Dante Exum for the first time this offseason because there had been no indications that the Mavs were considering him.
The Mavs already had a full guard room, and there hadn’t even been many rumors that Exum was considering a return to the NBA. At first, the decision seemed strange, but Exum has rapidly shown why he is an essential component of Dallas’ early-season success.
Exum is averaging 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 0.5 steals a game for Dallas this season while shooting 44.2 percent from three-point range and 57.7 percent from the field overall. Exum was a bench player to begin the season, but because of multiple injuries, he has recently started.
Ever since he began playing, Exum has excelled in his position.
Exum hit 7-9 from downtown and scored 26 points against the Los Angeles Lakers a little over a week ago. The Lakers forced him to pay after repeatedly leaving him vulnerable.
Exum displays his worth to this squad in every other manner, even though he has been a reliable scorer lately. He performs all the little things perfectly and has been an excellent passer and defender.
Dallas will be in severe need of a lockdown guard defender during the playoffs, which is why Exum is so crucial. Frank Ntilikina and other players have been asked to play significant postseason minutes for Dallas in the past, but Exum is far superior to Frank as a player for Dallas.
Given how crucial Exum is to everything this club accomplishes and his team-friendly contract, I would be stunned if Dallas traded him.
10. Prosper Olivier-Maxence
While the Dallas Mavericks’ 2023 NBA Draft night will always be associated with their No. 12 choice, Dereck Lively II, Dallas also made a move later in the evening that could prove to be quite successful.
Dallas acquired Richaun Holmes and traded back into the first round to select Olivier-Maxence Prosper using a traded player exception. Prosper hasn’t performed well this season, despite the fact that he was originally anticipated to play a significant role from the start.
Prosper is shooting 22.7 percent from beyond the arc and 34.3 percent from the field, averaging 2.4 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game. Although he hasn’t been able to establish himself as a reliable member of the Dallas team, injuries to players in his vicinity have recently increased his importance.
This month, Prosper has participated in over ten minutes of play in five different games. His greatest performance came on December 11 against the Memphis Grizzlies, when he scored eleven points.
Prosper works hard and is improving defensively, but his shooting has been, to put it mildly, inconsistent.
Despite his difficulties, I think Dallas wants to retain him in the long run. He possesses excellent intangibles, and I don’t think they will give up on him so soon.
9. Jones, Derrick Jr.
Derrick Jones Jr.’s one-year contract with the Dallas Mavericks ranks among the NBA’s finest veteran minimum deals. Although Jones Jr. was signed rather late in the summer, he has already exceeded the terms of his deal and established himself as an important member of this Dallas club.
Josh Green was projected to be the starting wing during training camp. After agreeing to a three-year contract extension, many believed he was prepared to advance in his career.
Then, speculation that Jones Jr. may wind up starting spread like wildfire.
Jones Jr. is playing the greatest basketball of his career and has started all but one of the games this season. He has now played in over 25% of the games. In addition to shooting a career-high 35.5 percent from three point range, he is averaging 9.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks a game.
He is now playing for a club that supports him from downtown, and his partnership with Luka Doncic has enabled him to develop into a formidable 3-and-D player.
I don’t see many situations in which the Mavs move Jones Jr. given his excellent play and approaching contract expiration. It would be illogical for Dallas, given their current level of play, to deal a player who has been essential to their success.
8. Powell, Dwight
During the 2014–15 season, the Dallas Mavericks acquired Rajon Rondo and Dwight Powell through trades. Powell has the oldest contract on the team and has started the most of his time in Dallas, despite the fact that Rondo became become one of the most despised Mavs in history.
Powell has played in 605 games for the Mavericks, averaging 7.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 0.6 steals, and 0.5 blocks per contest on a 60.1 percent shooting shooting percentage. Powell has established a respectable career for himself in Dallas, despite receiving more criticism than any other player on the team.
Although he can hustle well and occasionally threaten with a long pass, his trade worth isn’t looking great following a somewhat disappointing 2023–24 season. Additionally, I don’t believe Dallas would have wanted to deal Powell in the first place.
He is the ideal senior leader for the younger players on this team and is just as important to them off the court as he is on it. Powell refuses to grumble about his position and obviously enjoys playing for the Mavericks because he chose to remain with Dallas rather than accept a larger contract offer from the Houston Rockets.
Having said all of this, Powell is someone who I think may become a Maverick in retirement. I don’t think they’ll trade him unless it’s absolutely necessary, but I wouldn’t be too surprised if he went somewhere else if the appropriate offer came along.
7. Morris Markieff
The Dallas Mavericks’ decision to re-sign Markieff Morris was among their most intriguing summer decisions. Morris was acquired by Dallas as part of the trade for Kyrie Irving, but his limited output in his debut season with the organization suggested Dallas might consider bringing him back.
Most people believed that Dallas should have let him depart, even in spite of his cryptic message following the season that hinted at his potential return to the Mavs.
He was ultimately re-signed by the Mavs to a one-year contract at the veteran’s minimum, and he hasn’t played much this year. Morris is shooting 34.2 percent from the field and 30.4 percent from three, and he is averaging 3.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 0.4 steals a game.
Due to injuries to Maxi Kleber and Dereck Lively II, the Mavs have occasionally leaned on him for some size, but it is obvious that Dallas needs to improve in this area.
Morris is ranked here because, at this time, I believe he would be forced into a trade in order to make ends meet. Morris is a reliable veteran presence for this squad, and I doubt many teams would make the extra effort to trade for him.
Morris could be the least significant trade asset on this squad, so don’t expect clubs to be calling for him, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he was traded.
6. Josh Green
Josh Green was signed by the Dallas Mavericks to a three-year, $41 million contract this offseason, but things haven’t gone quite as planned.
Green is shooting 42.2 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from three, and he is dishing up 6.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 0.9 steals a game. He hasn’t made the fourth-year leap that most people were expecting, and since the previous season, his play has gotten worse.
Additionally, Dante Exum and Derrick Jones Jr. have also outperformed Green. Although neither player was anticipated to have a significant impact on the squad in their debut season, they have both excelled in Dallas.
This season will be remembered for Green because of everything listed above in addition to his elbow injury. He hurt the same elbow in the previous season; maybe, he can resume playing at a high level.
Dallas recently inked Green to a significant contract extension, showing their belief in him, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mavs chose to part ways with him. This summer, Green had calls from teams, but Dallas chose to hold onto the rookie guard instead of trading him.
Dallas is currently in a winning mode, thus they ought to trade Green for a player that can make them a contender in the NBA Finals.
5. Hardy Jaden
When the Dallas Mavericks traded into the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft to choose Jaden Hardy, they struck gold. Hardy was the top player in the draft coming out of high school, but he was passed over due to issues with finishing and efficiency.
As a rookie, Hardy scored 8.8 points per game and shot 40.4 percent from three-point range, demonstrating why he should have been selected in the first round. Despite clubs around the league showing interest in him around the draft, he showed promise that he would be a strong piece for Dallas going forward, and the Mavs decided against trading him over the summer.
Hardy has regressed slightly this year, after having a fantastic debut campaign. Hardy is shooting 39.2 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from three point range, averaging 7.0 points per game. His effectiveness has been worrisome, and he hasn’t improved as much as anticipated.
On Wednesday night, Hardy had a huge comeback effort against the Los Angeles Clippers, scoring 15 points and making five 3-pointers. They require this kind of output from him.
Given the need to win right now and the excellent play of the guards surrounding Hardy, I could see Dallas trading for him. Dallas might also hold off to see if Hardy improves further, given that he hasn’t lived up to expectations this season.
4. Tim Hardaway, Jr.
Dallas Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. was the subject of trade rumors the entire offseason. Hardaway Jr. was reportedly “expected” to be traded, and he had no idea if he would return this season.
Hardaway Jr. chose to stay in Dallas in spite of everything, and he’s currently playing some of his best basketball since joining the Mavericks. Hardaway Jr. is averaging 17.4 points per game while shooting 36.2 percent from outside the arc, despite a recent decline in efficiency.
As one of the leading contenders for Sixth Man of the Year, he has established himself and has been crucial to Dallas’ early success. Dallas has been one of their greatest players; should they keep him or deal him at the deadline while his value is still high?
There is no correct solution to this, and most MFFLs differ on it. Dallas might gain by trading Hardaway Jr. for a backup big man or a 3-and-D wing, but can Seth Curry, Josh Green, and Jaden Hardy replace his output?
Since Hardaway Jr. has played better than any of those players, it would be difficult to move him. Hardaway Jr.’s trade could result in a significant drop in bench scoring, but I don’t think Hardaway Jr., Curry, Green, and Hardy will all be Mavericks after the deadline.
In addition, Hardaway Jr. has emerged as the NBA’s top charge-taker this season and has finally started to produce on defense. Although losing him would be difficult, I don’t think he is absolutely impenetrable for Dallas at this time.
3. Maxi Kleber
Maxi Kleber signed a three-year, $33 million contract deal with the Mavericks prior to the 2022–2023 season. He has developed his career from the ground up in Dallas. Kleber was fresh off a fantastic postseason campaign during which he advanced the Mavs to the NBA Playoffs in 2022.
Dallas depended on him for rim protection and 3-point shooting, but in the last year or two, he has suffered multiple injuries.Last season, in the middle of the season, Kleber tore his hamstring, and he hasn’t played the same since. Due to a damaged toe, he has only participated in five games this season and is only scoring 3.4 points per game on average.
Furthermore, he hasn’t played near the level of rim protection he once did, so Dallas might be better off trading him. While his regression is alarming, it doesn’t mean he can’t get better and become the outstanding player he once was.
He no longer has the same physical attributes as the player he once was, nor does he offer the same advantage. It’s not ideal to pay Kleber $11 million a year for the next few years, but if they can get his contract off their books, they should.
However, Dallas would need to get another frontcourt player in return if they move him. Size is what Kleber offers, and the Mavs lack it somewhat.
2. Curry, Seth
On the first night of free agency, the Dallas Mavericks signed Seth Curry, and it seemed like everyone was saying how great he would be in Dallas.
Curry had previously spent two seasons as a member of the Mavs and had played alongside Luka Doncic. Although it didn’t seem like a big transition, he had a difficult start to the year in Dallas.
Through his first eight games, Curry had a total of 17 points and was shooting 16.7 percent from three-point range and 25 percent from the field. Although it wasn’t the start Mavs supporters were hoping for, he has subsequently rebounded.
Curry is shooting 39.8 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from three point range, averaging 4.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.9 assists a game. Although his minutes have been highly inconsistent, he has recently become a dependable shooter.
Jason Kidd uses him a lot off the bench some nights, while he hardly ever touches the floor on others. Dallas probably doesn’t sure exactly what they want from Curry, but if they don’t play him, someone else in the playoffs will.
Since Curry only earns $4 million a year, I could see another contender contacting the Mavs regarding Curry. Dallas has an abundance of guards already, so I don’t see how losing Curry would be a major setback.
1. Holmes Richaun
Most Dallas Mavericks supporters were thrilled when the team acquired Richaun Holmes and Olivier-Maxence Prosper’s draft rights on the night of the 2023 NBA Draft. Dallas gained some frontcourt support and an underappreciated wing, but it appeared that the team was already attempting to move one of those players as soon as they were acquired.
On draft night, there were trade speculations involving Dallas regarding Deandre Ayton, and Holmes was included in those discussions. Since joining the team, Holmes’ position in Dallas has never been certain, and while showing improvement in a few games, his playing time has never really grown.
Despite shooting a career-low 45.5 percent from the field, Homes is averaging 2.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks per game this season. Dallas has not regularly relied on him, and he was a healthy scratch for the Mavs’ first seven games.
I would be shocked if he is still a Maverick after the deadline because he hasn’t been playing much, even in Dereck Lively II’s absence. He might be traded for a team that could use his skill set, and his salary is negotiable.
The Mavs don’t appear to have him in their long-term plans, so it would be a significant victory to remove his contract from the books.
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