The Dallas Mavericks are one of numerous teams linked to Buddy Hield after his contract extension talks stalled, but there is plenty of water still to go under the bridge before it becomes a realistic possibility for the Pacers sharpshooter to make his way to Texas.
Per Marc Stein, there is “no traction” in discussions between the Mavericks and the Pacers. One reason for that appears to be the Mavs' reluctance to include Tim Hardaway Jr in any trade for Hield, while the Pacers are also reportedly bargaining hard for an extra in any such trade – for example, a first round pick.
Hield is an interesting potential trade target for any team. The lack of team success he has had throughout his NBA career makes it a little trickier to gauge how valuable he would be on a contending side, but the persistent threat he poses from the outside – as evidenced by the 42.5% he shot from long-range last season – suggests he has the capacity to improve most teams, particularly those who need more shooting.
But the Mavericks are certainly not that. Of course, the more shooting the better and no team wouldn't want to further strengthen their capabilities from outside, but it's not exactly the first area the Mavs need to fix up. Last season, they took more three-point attempts than all other teams except for Boston and Golden State, and at 37.1% they were the 8th most efficient team from long-range.
Luke Doncic, Kyrie Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr already provide a reasonable amount of shooting punch in their starting lineup, while Grant Williams, who they acquired from Boston, will add even more, and Seth Curry off the bench has as smooth a stroke as anyone in the league.
Wherever Buddy Hield ends up he will likely play a valuable role, and there's still some possibility that that team is the Mavericks. But it's easy to see why the Mavs have some hesitations in terms of what they're willing to give up. If they can manage to get him on board without having to give up anything they deem as foundational to their success in 2023-24 then he would be a welcome addition, but don't expect them to be robbing Peter to pay Buddy.