The Dallas Mavericks are entering the NBA trade deadline linked to multiple players. Kyle Kuzma, Andrew Wiggins, and PJ Washington are among the trade candidates who the Mavs have been connected to in rumors.
This year's trade deadline will be important for Dallas in a number of ways. And no, it will not purely rely on moves Dallas makes. So how can the trade deadline result in a nightmare scenario for the Mavs?
Lakers, Pelicans, Suns, and Kings all improve
As of this story's writing, the Mavs are in eighth place in the Western Conference. They are narrowly trailing the Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, and New Orleans Pelicans for the five, six, and seven spots in the conference. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers are right behind the Mavericks in the standings.
The odds of each one of these teams making an impactful trade or more before Thursday's deadline are slim. Again, though, this article is about Dallas' nightmare trade deadline scenario. And the thought of each one of these Western Conference contenders drastically improving isn't a great one for the Mavs.
Of course, the Mavericks won't love the idea of the top four teams in the conference, the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets upgrading their rosters either. But the Mavericks' goal is to book their ticket to the NBA playoffs, as opposed to just settling for an NBA In-Season Tournament spot.
So finishing with a better record than the Lakers, Pelicans, Suns, and Kings would place the Mavs in a good position to clinch a top six seed in the conference.
So how about the Mavericks? What would qualify as a nightmare scenario when it comes to their own moves during the NBA trade deadline?
Would not making a trade be the worst scenario for the Mavericks?
Standing pat wouldn't be the worst scenario for the Mavs. Yes, Mavericks fans would love to see the team acquire a player like Kyle Kuzma.
However, Dallas has displayed signs of performing at a high level when healthy. Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, and Jason Kidd have all discussed how important getting healthy will be moving forward.
Heading into the playoffs with Doncic and Irving leading the charge would at least give Dallas a chance to compete. However, they are far too reliant on three-point shooting and could use upgrades on defense and in the rebounding department.
But the worst scenario for the Mavericks moving forward would simply be an inability to get and stay fully healthy. Even with Irving and Doncic both on the floor in Dallas' back-to-back wins on Monday and Tuesday, Dereck Lively II and Dante Exum were out with injuries.
Mavericks fans know that both Lively and Exum have played important roles for Dallas this season. Lively looks like a future star at just 19 years old. His presence on the boards and protecting the rim has been pivotal.
The Mavericks' health will ultimately determine how well they fare during the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign.
A trade would be beneficial though, right?
Yes, the right trade would obviously help Dallas' chances of seriously contending in the competitive Western Conference. Adding a backup center and starting forward would help address needs on the roster.
It will be intriguing to see if Dallas makes a deal or two ahead of this year's NBA trade deadline. However, the moves made by the Mavericks' Western Conference rivals will go a long way in terms of the 2024 trade deadline being remembered as a nightmare scenario for Dallas.
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