• The Dallas Mavericks have had a strong 2023 offseason
• The addition of Grant Williams along with re-signing Kyrie Irving and drafting two players in the first round points to a positive summer for the franchise
• What players could the Luka Doncic-led franchise target to make themselves a guaranteed top-six team? Â
The Dallas Mavericks were riding high after making the 2022 Western Conference Finals but crashed hard last season. Losing Jalen Brunson in free agency and then going all-in for Kyrie Irving without any defenders on the roster led to an 11th-place finish for the franchise with a generational talent like Luka Doncic. A season like that will not be acceptable at all again, and the Mavericks are under pressure to win now, with Doncic entering his prime and a big financial commitment to Irving.
The team doesn’t have many future picks in it’s arsenal, still waiting to pay out the final first-round pick from the Kristaps Porzingis trade they made in 2018. They’ve also given out their 2029 pick in the Kyrie trade and a 2030 first-round pick swap with the Spurs. They do have a lot of unproven young players that could be tantalizing trade assets if the team wants to trade their upside away for more win-now players.
They added a lot of versatile multi-positional players this summer, like Olivier Maxence-Prosper, Derrick Jones Jr., Grant Williams, and Dante Exum, along with Dereck Lively II and Seth Curry. But they still could add more to make themselves a solid playoff bet.Â
But what players should the Mavericks target for a final move to complete their roster for next season? Let’s find out.
5. Clint Capela
The name that has been linked with the Mavericks for most of this summer has been Clint Capela. The Hawks want to clear up some of the contracts on their books and moved John Collins this summer to take a step in that direction. Capela’s $42.8 million over the next two years may not have value to the Hawks with Onyeka Okongwu ready to take a big role, making Dallas a perfect destination.
The Mavs have young center Dereck Lively II, but he’ll likely take some time adjusting to the NBA. Capela being the starting center for the Mavs allows them to bring along Lively at his own pace while finally ridding Dwight Powell of the starting role.Â
Capela averaged 12.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks last season and could be acquired for Tim Hardaway Jr. Dallas won’t be willing to give up a first-round pick, so two seconds and THJ could make this one of the simpler trades for them to execute.
4. Buddy Hield
Similar to Capela, Buddy Hield may be one of the most realistic trade targets that the Mavericks could pursue. Unfortunately, it looks like many teams have had that idea which could lead to his price skyrocketing. Any shooter in the NBA would be lucky to play with Luka Doncic, let alone Doncic alongside Kyrie Irving. The open shots that would be generated for Hield would be incredible.Â
He made 8.5Â attempts per game last season on a whopping 42.5% from three. On the Mavericks, Hield would absolutely light the NBA up and would be a massive upgrade on the shooting front if they package Tim Hardaway Jr. in the deal.Â
They would have to add at minimum two second-round picks, if not a first given the interest in Hield around the league. While Hardaway can be a more versatile scorer, Hield’s excellence from the three-point line will be an upgrade on what THJ provides. He averaged 14.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on 38.5% three-point efficiency last season.
3. Gary Trent Jr.
A name that has been linked for a trade away from Toronto since the end of last season is Gary Trent Jr. He is the prototypical 3-and-D prospect who could provide the Mavs with more than what Hield would bring. He is also just 25 years old, meaning he still could grow alongside the young core of Doncic, Josh Green, Grant Williams, and Jaden Hardy, among the other rookies on the roster. The defense that he provides can help a team that averaged 6.2 steals per game last season.
Trent Jr. averaged 17.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.6 steals last season. His off-the-ball ability would be a massive upgrade over anyone they have on the roster right now. The price will be harder to figure out. GTJ is valuable for the Raptors, who could use him in a trade for Damian Lillard. But the reality is that he’s an expiring contract that the Raptors would have to overpay to keep in the long term.Â
The Raptors will want a first-round pick for Trent Jr., but it’s unlikely the Mavericks will be willing to offer one of the two first-round picks they have left available for trade Â
2. Myles Turner
The ideal stretch big for the Mavericks would be Myles Turner. Turner hails from Dallas and is often seen in the city in his free time. His skill set is exactly what the Mavs are looking for, as he’ll provide rim protection and can stretch the floor. He averaged 18.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks last season, shooting 37.3% from three.Â
His shot-blocking can bring him into Defensive Player of the Year conversations, provided he can have a fully healthy season. Turner’s lack of availability has been the biggest concern of his career and the Mavs will also be wary of the same.
The price for Turner will not be straightforward, as the Pacers have held him out of trade talks for seasons. With a two-year extension in the winter, Turner still has value as a long-term asset for the Pacers. He is just 27 years old and can fetch a strong return even a season later or in the winter. The Mavs will likely have to part with a first-round pick to get Turner. With their limited future assets, it’ll be an interesting decision but could have some incredible upside for Dallas.
1. Deandre Ayton
Deandre Ayton has been the best-case trade target for the Mavericks for the last few months. The Mavericks went after him on draft night and nearly acquired him, but the Suns were unwilling to deal him for an underwhelming package that was bereft of a future first-round pick or Mavs’ youngsters Jaden Hardy and Josh Green. Richaun Holmes and Tim Hardaway Jr. aren’t enough to get Ayton, but adding one pick or one of their youngsters may not be terrible value.
Ayton and Doncic are the same age and were the No. 1 and 3 picks in the 2018 NBA Draft. The upside with Ayton is massive and the Mavericks can develop that better than the Suns could. Doncic would get a real big-man lob threat that can average over 10 rebounds a game. The Mavericks were 22nd in rebounding last season and it was a massive problem against some of the towering teams in the West.
Ayton averaged 18.0 points a 10.0 rebounds last season and maybe the final piece that the Mavericks need to chart a court for the present and the future with Doncic.Â
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