Trade season is almost here and everyone has been chiming in on teams who could give the reigning NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers a run for their money in the 2020-2021 season. One of the teams which could potentially instantly boost its chances: the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas had the league's best offense last season. Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis ran the show for the Mavs.
They helped the franchise get back to the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. Just on their first season together, Doncic (21) and Porzingis (25) proved to be one of the best young offensive duos in the league and it seems that you can't put a ceiling on the Mavs' success down the road with these two leading the pack.
After a first round exit against the Los Angeles Clippers in this year's playoffs, the young Mavs are hungry for more post-season success and they've been on a hunt for a piece that can help them solve the puzzle. Here are the five best Mavs trades to get them the necessary help they need to compete for a title:
Mavs targets — 5. Bradley Beal
One of the biggest names that has been in the rumor mill for a potential move for a few seasons now is Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards. With his backcourt tandem John Wall being out, Beal balled out last season and notched a career-high average of 30.5 points per game which was second in the league. The 27-year old is a scoring machine and throwing him in the mix with an already-potent offense in Dallas would easily give the Mavs one of the best scoring trios in the league.
Things haven't gone Beal's way so far in Washington as his dynamic partnership with Wall has only resulted to four unsuccessful playoff appearances after eight seasons. If Beal is ready to move on from DC, look for the Mavs to curate an attractive package for the two-time All-Star.
4. Victor Oladipo
Another star who's been reportedly way too eager to switch cities is Indiana Pacers' Victor Oladipo. The 28-year old has had quite the roller coaster career thus far in the league. Also a two-time All-Star, Oladipo has proven that he can be an all-around guard any team can plug in. Aside from slashing and knocking down threes, the Maryland native can also provide defensive intensity which he showcased by leading the league in steals in 2017-2018 with 2.4 steals per game. Unfortunately, a ruptured quad in 2018 pushed him to the sidelines and allowed him to only play 57 regular season games in two seasons.
Oladipo's come back earlier this year has been promising but it might be something the Pacers don't have time for. That, plus the fact that 2018 Most Improved Player has been quite eager to make a move makes him on of the more feasible candidates the Mavs inquire for. Although Oladipo poses a few questions in terms of health, if Dallas ends up pulling the trigger and making a move for the two-time All-Star, this experiment might be worth their while and it could give Doncic a ton of help in the backcourt.
3. Spencer Dinwiddie
Speaking of backcourt help, let's talk about Spencer Dinwiddie – another potential trade target for the Mavs. As the Brooklyn Nets' main point guard last season, the 27-year old made the most out of his opportunity to showcase his talent. The former G-League alum had a career year last season after averaging 20.6 points and 6.8 assists per game with Kyrie Irving out for majority of the season. Problem is, Brooklyn is stacked with quite the talent with Irving, Kevin Durant and even Caris LeVert and Joe Harris all coming back next season. This might make Dinwiddie quite expendable, and when he starts shopping around, the Mavs should be ready to pounce on the young vet.
A 6'5″ point guard like Dinwiddie can do a lot for Dallas. His playmaking ability should complement not only Luka's style of play but should also benefit Porzingis down the block as well as the Mavs' shooters waiting in the wings. He's one of the most versatile guards among the Mavs' trade potential options and playing alongside Doncic should only make him better.
2. Zach LaVine
Another star who had a career year last year which the Mavs have been inquiring for is the Chicago Bulls' Zach LaVine. LaVine has upped his stock ever since he moved to the Windy City from Minnesota. “Young Hollywood” has managed to increase his scoring averages in all of his three seasons so far in Chicago and ended the 2019-2020 season with a career-best of 25.5 points per game as well as 4.8 rebounds. Although the two-time Slam Dunk champion still has a couple years left in his contract with the Bulls, Chicago might be considering moving on from the 25-year old especially if things go their way and they land a potential franchise player with their fourth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
LaVine can easily light up the scoreboard at any given night which, when you add it to the Mavs' red-hot offense, could be a problem for the rest of the league. Another aspect of LaVine's game which would make him a perfect fit in Dallas is his offensive efficiency. He knocked down 3.1 three-pointers per game last season with an efficient 38% shooting clip from distance and a total of 45% from the field. LaVine is finished the league last season as eight in clutch scoring which should be nothing but beneficial to Dallas.
Mavs top target — 1. Jrue Holiday
By this time, it's pretty clear that the Mavs backcourt needs a ton of help and, if the Mark Cuban plays his cards right, that could come in the name of Jrue Holiday. The New Orleans Pelicans playmaker is one of the best two-way guards in the league and if there's one thing the Mavs badly needs right now, it's defense. After leading the league in offense last season, Dallas found themselves at #18 in terms of defensive efficiency which was the main reason why they ran into a ton of problems last season, especially in the playoffs. Immediately, this was Holiday brings in. A two-time member of the NBA All-Defensive team, the 30-year old is touted as one of the best defensive guards in the league right now and him teaming up with an MVP candidate like Doncic should work wonders for Dallas.
Holiday also brings a ton of leadership and experience to a rather young Mavs team and could be an instant glue to help gel this team together. The UCLA alum can also make necessary buckets for the team and his shooting ability could help space the floor for Luka and the rest of the squad. Even with a ton of talent in New Orleans, Holiday held his own and still managed to put up 19.1 points per game and knocked down a couple of threes per contest last season. If the Pelicans organization decide to go all-in with their young core and trade away Holiday, the Mavs should be ready to throw them everything but the kitchen sink for a chance to grab him.
Follow Us
Subscribe