Luka Doncic may be under contract until at least the end of the 2025-26 season, but the Dallas Mavericks are not taking any chances. After all, having one of the ten-best (or perhaps even five-best) players in the entire association and then proceeding to miss even the play-in tournament isn't ideal at all. Thus, trades may be in order for the Mavs to maximize their contending window with the Slovenian wunderkind.

The Mavs, however, have barely any positive assets that would entice other teams in negotiations. They have the mid-sized salaries to cobble together for a disgruntled star, but those contracts don't appear to be particularly enticing for others to take on. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Reggie Bullock have value, but not much, while Davis Bertans will be making “worst contracts” lists for a long time.

Nevertheless, the Mavs saw the writing on the wall to end their disappointing campaign, throwing their final few games of the regular season to allow them to keep their first-round pick. Their pick otherwise would have gone to the New York Knicks had it landed outside the top 10.

Thankfully for the Mavs, the NBA Draft Lottery gods smiled upon them, as they kept their pick, which would allow them to shop it for a player that could fill their most glaring roster needs.

Here are the three best trades the Mavs must make using the 10th overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft.

Mavs trade the 10th overall pick, Maxi Kleber, JaVale McGee, and Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Phoenix Suns for Deandre Ayton

The rumor mill has made it clear that the Mavs are interested in potentially swinging a trade for beleaguered Suns center Deandre Ayton. Ayton, as one would recall, did not have the best postseason run, which ended once again in embarrassment when at home when the Denver Nuggets decimated them on their own stomping grounds in Game 6.

With the Suns unable to trade their future first-round picks for quite some time, they will have difficulties rounding out the roster around Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. They also don't have assets already on the roster that would be enticing for prospective trade partners.

Thus, dealing away Deandre Ayton looks like their best path to acquiring a few players who could help the Suns fill the roster with quality talent. During the 2023 NBA playoffs, their lack of depth appeared to be their undoing, as their stars ran out of steam to end the playoffs due to the heavy workload they had to shoulder.

On the surface, the Mavs' offer above won't thrill Suns fans too much. Seeing the Suns trade away the first overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft for spare parts would be a heartbreaking sight. But the 10th overall pick would allow the Suns to draft a helpful prospect who shouldn't make much of a dent on their cap sheet. The Suns are also an old team, so acquiring youth should be helpful. Meanwhile, acquiring Maxi Kleber would give the Suns a defensively versatile big man who can stroke the ball from deep.

The Mavs would then acquire their franchise center for the foreseeable future. And perhaps with a change of scenery, Ayton unlocks another level to his stagnating career.

Dallas fills in their big man need, trades away 10th overall pick, Tim Hardaway Jr. and JaVale McGee to the Atlanta Hawks for Clint Capela

If the Mavs were to trade away the 10th overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, they would want to do so for a surefire game-changer. And at first glance, Clint Capela may not be too big of a name to convince them to trade away that lottery selection.

But still, it's clear what the Mavs roster lacks. It lacks rim protection and rebounding, as they bled points in the paint to end the season en route to crashing and burning out of the playoff picture. Capela would give the Mavs an intimidating paint presence who should feast on easy looks created by the defensive attention Luka Doncic draws on a nightly basis.

Perhaps the Hawks turn over the center position to Onyeka Okongwu, and in return, they would get the chance to add a talented youngster alongside Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.

Indiana Pacers go all-in on their rebuild, trade away Myles Turner for the 10th overall pick, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Josh Green

Trading away Josh Green, perhaps even more so than the 10th overall pick, would be a sore point for the Mavs. Green has shown that he fits like a glove alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving (should he re-sign), moving tirelessly without the basketball, pinging the ball across the court to keep the offense moving, and he showed his potential as a pesky defender on the perimeter.

But giving away talent is necessary to acquire talent, and for the Mavs to convince the Pacers to relinquish Myles Turner, they may have to give Green up. Turner isn't the most ferocious rebounding presence, but his ability to space the floor as well as block shots at an elite level should make him such an incredible fit for the Mavs' Luka Doncic-led perimeter-centric offense.