The Dallas Mavericks have emerged as a contender in the Western Conference once again following the team's disappointing finish to the 2022-23 campaign. Dallas still has areas of concern to address, though. Luka Doncic has been fantastic and rookie Dereck Lively looks like a future star but it still would not be surprising to see the Mavs make a couple of moves ahead of the trade deadline.
With that being said, there are some Mavericks trade candidates who probably will remain with the team. Today, we are going to take a look at two current Dallas players who I'm predicting will not be traded, and then we will predict two trades that the Mavs will end up making.
Without further ado, let's get into the article.
*All contract information via Spotrac.
Mavs won't trade Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber
Tim Hardaway Jr. and Maxi Kleber have both been mentioned as potential trade candidates in the past. In fact, some people around the NBA world expected Hardaway to be moved prior to the 2023-24 season.
However, I don't expect either player to be traded for very different reasons.
Beginning with Hardaway, the Mavs veteran guard has performed well in 2023-24. He's also under contract through the 2024-25 season so trading him now isn't a necessity.
The only way Hardaway likely gets moved is if Dallas acquires a superstar ahead of the trade deadline. Otherwise, there isn't much reason to deal a player away who's become a realistic candidate to win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.
Hardaway is averaging 17.6 points per game during the 2023-24 season. He's shooting the ball fairly well from deep, recording a 36.1 three-point percentage as of this story's writing.
Kleber would be far more likely to be traded if he wasn't injured. But he's only appeared in five total games during the 2023-24 campaign.
Since he's under contract through 2025-26, Dallas would likely be better off keeping him this season and hoping he stays healthy next year. Perhaps Kleber can increase his trade value and emerge as a candidate to be moved within the next two seasons.
Plus, Dallas values post depth and Kleber's ability to stretch the floor benefits the roster. Kleber could be moved but I do not foresee it happening prior to the 2023-24 trade deadline.
Dallas lands Dorian Finney-Smith in trade with Nets
How about a reunion?
Dorian Finney-Smith played in Dallas from 2016-2022 before getting traded to the Nets. The Mavs are certainly in the market for athletic and versatile forwards, however, and Finney-Smith is arguably the perfect fit.
Offensively, he's currently averaging 10.4 points per game on 47.3 percent field goal and 44.9 percent three-point shooting. Finney-Smith is also averaging 5.0 rebounds per contest.
He is a player who can guard multiple different positions while adding the aforementioned offensive prowess. His all-around skill set makes a lot of sense for the Mavs.
The Brooklyn Nets are in the midst of a mediocre season and would surely listen to trade offers for Finney-Smith at the very least.
Mavs acquire Bulls' Alex Caruso
Finally, look for the Mavs to make an effort to acquire one of the league's better perimeter defenders in Alex Caruso.
The Chicago Bulls hold a 13-18 record as of this story's writing. Chicago's primary trade candidates are stars DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, and they have both been mentioned as possible targets for Dallas.
However, Caruso is a better fit for the Mavs' roster. Many of Dallas' guards are scorers rather than star defensive options. Caruso is capable of finding the bottom of the net, but the Mavericks would acquire him to be a defensive-first stopper.
Coming to terms on a deal would be an interesting process. It isn't clear exactly what the Bulls could get for Caruso in a trade. Acquiring him won't be an easy thing to do but it would not be shocking by any means if Dallas attempts to make a trade to boost their perimeter depth, and Caruso will be a player to monitor.
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