Though the Dallas Mavericks have cooled off a bit following a scorching 8-2 start to the regular season, they have a lot to be excited about this 2023-24 NBA season. The roster that GM Nico Harrison constructed during the offseason fits better with Luka Doncic and their strong start reflects that. Nonetheless, the Mavericks could still use another piece that can help address their issues as they look to compete with the upper-echelon teams in the Western Conference. For this piece, we will look at who the Mavs should trade even though it's still early in the 2023-24 NBA season.

The Mavericks have stumbled upon a gem with rookie Dereck Lively II. Mavs GM Nico Harrison now looks like an absolute genius when he traded down two spots during the 2023 NBA Draft to take Lively with the 12th overall selection. With the move, he was also able to get off Davis Bertans' contract, which gave them a trade exception that they later used to acquire veteran big man Richaun Holmes.

With Dallas' need for a big man and Holmes' skillset, it seemed like the 30-year-old was on his way to revitalizing his career with the Mavs. Unfortunately for him, Lively's emergence has prevented that from happening. With that said, the Mavs should find a way to trade Richaun Holmes this season.

Mavs big men problems

Throughout the summer, the Mavs have been looking for the perfect big man to slot into their starting lineup.

Dwight Powell certainly wasn't an option anymore. Lively was a consideration. But he is a rookie and rookie big men tend to take some time to adapt to the NBA game. Richaun Holmes was also a possible option. His ability to rim run and finish in the pick-and-roll with Luka Doncic made him a sensible solution. In the end, veteran Maxi Kleber drew the starting nod on opening night.

However, it only took one game for Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd to figure out that Lively was the answer to their center problems this offseason. Lively had a terrific NBA debut as he outplayed San Antonio Spurs prized rookie Victor Wembanyama with 16 points and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes off the bench. Kidd immediately gave the Duke standout the starting nod the next game and Lively has been in the first unit ever since.

In 14 appearances this season, Lively is averaging 8.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks while shooting 69.4 percent from the field. The 19-year-old has already established a terrific rapport with Luka Doncic and is playing better than the Mavs ever expected.

With the Mavs big man issue already solved with Lively, that makes any of the three remaining big men expendable. Who among them should be traded? I think it should be Richaun Holmes.

Why Mavs should trade Richaun Holmes

Richaun Holmes is a sitting duck on the Dallas Mavericks' bench. As mentioned, Dereck Lively II's emergence is the reason why Holmes has not been in the rotation for the Mavs this season.

Holmes has appeared in just six games and is averaging only 8.8 minutes per contest. That is $12 million in salary not being used productively for the Mavs on the basketball court.

Though the Mavs are winning, this is an unfortunate situation for Holmes as far as his career goes. The 30-year-old found himself lost in the Sacramento Kings rotation last season and only wound up averaging over eight minutes in 42 games last season. Now, he finds himself in a similar spot after there was speculation he would get an opportunity to get his career back on track with Dallas.

After this season, Holmes will likely be still on the books for the Mavericks next year as he holds a $12.8 million player option for the 2024-25 season. With another eight-digit figure sitting idly next season, Harrison should find a way to offload Holmes and potentially package him in a trade for another piece who could actually help them on the floor.

Mavs trade target: OG Anunoby

Surely, the Mavericks will need to include picks and possibly a young player with Holmes if they are looking to acquire a piece who can move the needle for them.

Dallas has been linked to Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby. Anunoby seems like the quintessential 3-and-D piece who could thrive in just about any system. He would surely thrive in one where Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving's attention-commanding presence would open up several open shots for him on the perimeter.

Speaking of perimeter, Anunoby fills in Dallas' need for a point-of-attack defender. Doncic and Irving aren't particularly known for their acumen on that end of the floor. So, the Mavs could certainly use his services as they look to improve their bottom-10 ranked defense.

Toronto is still at a crossroads on whether it should embark on a rebuild. Should the Raptors eventually come to their senses this season and make Anunoby available, the Mavs should be in front of the line to get him.