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The Dallas Mavericks were right at the doorstep of contending for the NBA championship. Luka Doncic was arguably the best player in the postseason, not only with his individual excellence but also through the superstar gravity he draws as the primary focal point of the Mavs' attack.
But if there's one thing that was evident in Dallas' playoff run, it's that even Luka Doncic at his best can't do it alone. They were often at the mercy of his supporting cast and how well they would perform on any given night. The Jekyll and Hyde shooting disparity between their Game 3 loss to go down 0-3 and their Game 4 win to avoid a sweep against the Golden State Warriors was evidence of that.
They need star power – and the word on the street is they're already working on it. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, one name they're looking hard and long at is Chicago Bulls All-Star Zach LaVine.
Via SubStack:
Sources nonetheless maintain that one option already being weighed by team brass is the prospect of joining the sign-and-trade bidding for the Chicago Bulls' Zach LaVine, amid a growing belief around the league that LaVine, as he heads into free agency, has more interest in leaving Chicago than initially presumed.
Could Zach LaVine be the missing piece that the Dallas Mavericks need next to Luka Doncic for the years to come? Here are three (3) reasons why that could be the case:
3 reasons Mavs must trade for Zach LaVine to pair with Luka Doncic
Fits the Luka Doncic timeline
Luka Doncic is already a top 5 player in the NBA. After this latest playoff run, that's basically an indisputable fact. Not many players can carry a team without anyone close to resembling an All-Star all the way to the Western Conference Finals, and topple the top-ranked team in the league at that. But Luka Doncic did just that with the Mavs and he's still just 23 years old.
He's ready to compete right now and the challenge for the Mavs is to give him a supporting cast to help him build off what he was able to do nearly by himself (and a bit of Jalen Brunson). The next few seasons are critical.
Enter Zach LaVine. The Bulls shooting guard is coming off his second consecutive All-Star season in Chicago and is still just 27 years old. Whoever takes control of his next contract will have him for the better part of his prime. With Luka Doncic's max contract just kicking in next season, a fresh deal with LaVine gives him a running mate playing at his peak for likely four seasons guaranteed.
Availability
As the old basketball adage goes, the best ability is availability. While that usually applies to players staying injury-free, it still perfectly describes the best reason the Mavs should go for Zach LaVine right now.
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The Mavs aren't going to have any cap relief this offseason. They're going to be on the hook for close to $150 million in guaranteed money next season as Luka Doncic's first max contract year kicks in. That doesn't even include whatever they'd need to cough up to keep Jalen Brunson in Dallas. He'll likely command a rate above the $20 million annual salary range, which catapults the Mavs payroll into luxury tax oblivion.
They won't be able to add any more marquee free agents or easily trade for top-shelf talent once their two 2018 NBA draft picks lock in their deals at more than $60 million combined annually.
Zach LaVine is arguably the best player available in the market right now. While there may be better fitting players in terms of two-way compatibility with Doncic, like say a Paul George or a Kevin Durant, those guys aren't available. There's equally no guarantee that a player of Zach LaVine's caliber and youth becomes available in the coming year, when the Mavs need to make a splash to avoid simply treading water.
Seamless offensive fit
When the Dallas Mavericks traded away Kristaps Porzingis for seemingly pennies on the dollar, outside observers were mostly stunned. They gave up their second most dynamic player by far seemingly just to get rid of him.
But letting go of the original unicorn opened up the offense like never before. Luka Doncic thrived as the lone offensive hub as his teammates spread the floor for him. That's why getting a player who fits into a Doncic-centric offense is critical and makes a move for someone like Rudy Gobert somewhat of a retread.
However, that put all non-Doncic plays at the mercy of role players making their shots. That proved to be a huge gamble this postseason with cold nights from guys like Reggie Bullock, Maxi Kleber, or Dorian Finney-Smith curtailing some masterful Luka Magic at the worst possible times. That's what made the Jalen Brunson leap so valuable for them as it provided some playmaking and shot-creation, but it wasn't enough.
Zach LaVine has shot-creation oozing out of his shooting sleeve. He's been a 25-point scorer throughout his entire Bulls career, and that's mostly been without any other stars alongside him. He's been in Luka Doncic's shoes, needing to score bucket after bucket because he's the best option on offense by far.
LaVine is also a lethal catch-and-shoot option to play off Luka. He ranked in the 90th percentile in spot-up shooting last season and his threat to penetrate will keep defenses on their toes compared to contesting stand-still shooters like Bullock or DFS.
