The Dallas Mavericks will be one of the most intriguing teams to follow ahead of the NBA trade deadline. Dallas has dealt with an injury-plagued season, yet they are still within distance of making a legitimate run in the Western Conference. The Mavs have been linked to forwards such as Kyle Kuzma and Andrew Wiggins, but most recently rumors have heated up about a potential trade for Brooklyn Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith.
“Dallas has been in contact with the Brooklyn Nets in attempts to bring two-way forward Dorian Finney-Smith back, sources said. A coveted wing on the trade block, the Mavs are willing to give up multiple draft assets for the veteran,” reports Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.
Siegel also reported that rookie center Dereck Lively II, and of course superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, will be unavailable in trade talks. He added that all other “options are on the table” as the trade deadline draws near.
Will the Mavericks make a trade?
Now Dallas hasn't seen much of their full roster in action at once due to the aforementioned injury trouble. So it remains to be seen how aggressive the Mavs will be in trade talks.
When Doncic, Irving, and Lively are all playing together, Dallas features the potential to perform at a high level. Players like Tim Hardaway Jr., Dante Exum, Jaden Hardy, and Josh Green have all had impressive performances at times this season as well.
That isn't to say that a trade is off the table. The Mavericks are reportedly willing to make a deal if it helps to upgrade the roster.
But making a trade isn't guaranteed to happen. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd believes in the team, but admitted that injuries have played far too common of a role this season.
“I think with all the injuries it's unclear… It's not fair to judge this group yet with all the injuries,” Kidd said in mid-January. “I think we're setting a franchise record here this afternoon with a different starting lineup. But we can't complain, every team is going to go through it. But I think the character of this group, you can judge. We've always bounced back after a tough game.
“When you look at Kai and Luka, their availability, you look at Lively's availability… We've had quite a few guys that have been out not just for one game or two games. We have kept the ship afloat. Again, give credit to the guys in that locker room… The next step is slowly get healthy and go from there.”
Finney-Smith, and Kuzma and Wiggins for that matter, are all expected to draw trade interest from various teams around the league. If Dallas is serious about pursuing any of these players, they may need to be aggressive in trade talks. This next week will be a busy time around the NBA, and it will be intriguing to see if the Mavericks make a deal come to fruition.
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