The Dallas Mavericks head into the 2022 offseason with one clear goal: get Luka Doncic more help. While the Slovenian youngster powered the Mavs to the Western Conference Finals, it was quite clear that they are lacking another scorer and rim protector after falling to the Golden State Warriors in five games.
Of course right after their playoffs exit, several names have been linked with the Mavs. Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine has been mentioned as a potential target, as well as Utah Jazz defensive anchor Rudy Gobert.
LaVine and Gobert address the Mavs' biggest needs to transform the team into title contenders, so it's no surprise why Dallas would be interested. However, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, Mark Cuban, GM Nico Harrison and co. are not as high on Gobert as they are on LaVine.
“Despite long-running speculation that the Mavericks hope to trade for Rudy Gobert, I’m told that an all-out pursuit of Utah’s All-Star center and defensive anchor is unlikely,” Stein reports.
“As much as Cuban and GM Nico Harrison have openly acknowledged a pressing need to bolster their rim protection and rebounding, Dallas sees LaVine as the sort of player who could fill other crucial needs with his ability to both play off Dončić as a long-range shooter and likewise collapse defenses by slashing to the basket to score.”
The Mavs' lack of big exposed the Mavs in the 2022 playoffs. They often struggled when the opposing center had a big game, and they had a hard time stopping shots at the rim. With that said, Gobert would have been an incredible fit. It's also interesting to see how he could blossom offensively when he gets more touches with Luka Doncic's elite passing.
Nonetheless, despite that, it's easy to see why the Mavs like LaVine. Dallas knows very well that a one-star roster can only take them so far, while having a second star who can take over can help the team when Doncic struggles.
It remains to be seen what the Mavs end up doing, but if one thing is clear, it's the fact that they won't be silent in free agency.
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