The Dallas Mavericks have exceeded expectations halfway through the season. With Luka Doncic leading the team as a playmaker at such a high-level, continuing to add complementary talents to reinforce their roster seems ideal. There have been a few names the Mavs have been linked to in trade rumors. Most recently, Robert Covington was a player that Dallas was mentioned among three teams as having an interest in trading for him, according to The Athletic.
Rival teams also say the market for forward Robert Covington has been heating up over recent days. Covington has become a coveted player, with his defensive prowess and outside shooting an ideal fit for most teams in the playoff hunt. Houston, Dallas and Philadelphia are among the teams who have expressed interest in Covington, but Minnesota is expected to drive a hard bargain, league sources said.
A frequent name has been Andre Iguodala and the Mavericks were actually listed as the ‘favorite' to acquire him. A more polarizing rumor that Dallas has been included in early January was being among the teams that are interested in acquiring Andre Drummond.
One name that hasn't been mentioned as a potential trade target for the Mavs is Jae Crowder. There's a good reason for that, too. He's simply not playing well this season. He's averaging 10.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists and while that is solid, his efficiency has been terrible.
It's clear that Crowder has not been nearly as impactful as he was during his time with the Boston Celtics. His peak came in 2016-17 when he averaged 13.9 points and shot 39.8 percent from beyond the arc on an average of 5.5 attempts per game. Since that campaign, his best single-season three-point percentage came in 2018-19 at just 33.1 percent.
It would make plenty of sense to try to ‘buy-low' on Crowder if there was reason to believe that his jump shooting was in just a slump. The fact that he is shooting just 28.6 percent on unguarded catch-and-shoot jumpers within the half-court is genuinely concerning. The Mavericks can't afford to acquire players that aren't reliable jumpers.
It seems Crowder doesn't make too much sense for the Mavericks unless they are interested in adding a veteran wing to bolster their wing depth. They already have Finney-Smith and Justin Jackson so it's not a pressing need. However, if one of those players were to go down with an injury, they would only have Ryan Broekhoff to call upon.
Follow Us
Subscribe