The Dallas Mavericks are a team that has all the pieces to be a contender in the future. They have 2 potential superstars in Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis and a Hall of Fame coach in Rick Carlisle, all working for a winner in Mark Cuban. Simply put, the Mavericks will be a real problem very soon.
But what if they can shortcut their contention, and acquire a third star to make a push for the NBA Western Conference Finals next season? By making all players available, except Doncic and Porzingis of course, the Mavericks can place themselves in a position to make a massive trade that could shape the Western Conference. Guys like Tim Hardaway Jr, Justin Jackson, Dwight Powell, and Dorian Finney-Smith could all get some attention when paired with some first-round picks.
Here are the 10 players the Dallas Mavericks can acquire to help out Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis next season.
10. Bogdan Bogdanovic – Free Agency
15.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 37.2% 3-pt FG
Bogdan Bogdanovic is what the Mavericks really needed in the playoffs this year. Luka Doncic has to carry almost all the load on the perimeter, while Porzingis does everything inside. Bogdanovic is a player that can play in any system thanks to his solid all-around game which includes strong shooting ability and size on the wing. Expect the Mavericks to pursue Bogdanovic for a nice contract this offseason.
9. Marc Gasol – Free Agency
7.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.9 BPG
Marc Gasol’s numbers are down this season, but his impact will always be high. Even if Gasol isn’t an All-Star or even a Defensive Player of the Year candidate anymore, he is an experienced player who has championship experience. Gasol helped the Toronto Raptors win an NBA title in 2019, and he can certainly help improve the Dallas Mavericks as they look towards building a winning culture again.
8. Buddy Hield – Trade
19.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.0 APG, 0.9 SPG, 39.4% 3-pt FG
Buddy Hield can flat out shoot the ball, and he will be the best possible Robin to the Batman of Luka Doncic. Doncic is a triple-double machine who is the primary scorer and playmaker for the squad because he attracts a ton of attention from defenses. With Doncic getting the usual double teams thrown his way, Buddy Hield can spot up for open shots and improve his overall slashing game. It is only a matter of convincing the King to take what the Mavericks can offer because that is the only obstacle to this deal although the Kings might not want to pay max dollars for Hield.
7. Goran Dragic – Free Agency
16.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 5.1 APG, 0.7 SPG, 36.7% 3-pt FG
Goran Dragic was sensational all year, posting averages of 16.2 PPG and 5.1 APG during the regular season. He also led the Miami Heat in scoring in the postseason and should be due for one final big contract. Dragic is aging with an extensive injury history, so whoever pays him the most money is the place he will likely go. The Dallas Mavericks need to get Doncic help, and his fellow countryman Dragic can be the primary playmaker for most of the time. He is experienced with plenty of playoff experience which is invaluable for the Mavericks at this stage.
6. Victor Oladipo – Trade
14.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 31.7% 3-pt FG
Victor Oladipo might be available for trade by the Indiana Pacers. He is coming off a severe injury and the Pacers might want to move him before losing him to free agency as they might not want to commit their future to him. For the Dallas Mavericks, they could use Oladipo because he is a very effective 2-way player who doesn’t really have a weakness in his game. He can handle the ball, score off the dribble, and is an above-average defender. The Mavericks adding a third star like Oladipo means they can challenge for a top-4 spot and possibly a chance to sneak into the Western Conference Finals.
5. Kevin Love
17.6 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, 37.4% 3-pt FG
The Dallas Mavericks had an incredibly great offense this past season, ranking first in PPG scored as a team. Adding a sharpshooter like Kevin Love only boosts the team’s offense, while giving them a third star who can score both inside and outside. Doncic and Porzingis have no limits offensively, and Love does not either considering his position. A Big Three of Doncic, Porzingis, and Love will be tough to stop from the three-point line, and both Love and Porzingis can take it inside for easy buckets as well.
4. Zach LaVine
25.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 38.0% 3-pt FG
Zach LaVine’s career year means a ton of teams are interested in his scoring and athleticism, and the Dallas Mavericks are no different. LaVine can play off the ball to spot up for shots and also create his shots. He is improving his all-around game and playing for a great coach and next to a superstar player will only boost his performances. LaVine and Doncic is one heck of a tandem, and Porzingis completes a Big Three that will be very hard to stop offensively.
3. DeMar DeRozan
22.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, 25.7% 3-pt FG
DeMar DeRozan might be a bit of a forgotten scorer in the league, but he has been a consistent perimeter player throughout his career. He can be trusted with the ball on the block and is very adept at creating his own shots. For a team like the Mavericks that rely only on Luka Doncic, this could be a blessing for them. DeRozan probably wants to be an All-Star again and playing alongside Luka Doncic will certainly give him that chance again. The Spurs should be rebuilding very soon, and it might not hurt to ship him off to Dallas for a nice return.
2. Rudy Gobert
15.1 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 2.0 BPG
Rudy Gobert is not a very skilled offensive player but might be the best overall defender in the league. He is amazing at crashing the boards, playing lockdown defense in the paint, and swatting shots away. It is what he does best and the Mavericks will have a legitimate All-Star big man to pair with Porzingis in the post if they make this deal. The Utah Jazz might want to keep Donovan Mitchell and move on from everyone else, so they might be interested in what Dallas has to offer.
1. Andre Drummond
17.7 PPG, 15.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.4 BPG
Even though the Mavericks have Kristaps Porzingis in the paint already, acquiring Andre Drummond boosts their defense tremendously. The Los Angeles Lakers have shown that size is still a prevalent factor in the league and that will likely never change. Porzingis and Drummond will make scoring on the Mavericks very difficult, and Rick Carlisle will have a solid defensive unit once again. Drummond is one of the league’s best rebounders and rim protectors, and they might be able to get him on a decent package if the Cavaliers want to move on from him.
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