The Dallas Mavericks have been mentioned as a possible landing destination for Deandre Ayton this offseason should the Phoenix Suns make him available in trade talks. Trading for him would make sense for Dallas, but would it be a good fit for Ayton?

Deandre Ayton is one of the better centers in the NBA. He is a respectable defender and is strong on offense. Ayton endured some ups and downs this past season, but was solid overall. He finished the 2022-23 campaign with 18 points per game on 58.9 percent field goal shooting. He also averaged just under one block per contest and added 10 boards per game.

There are other potential landing destinations for Deandre Ayton without question, but let's take a look at why the Mavs are the perfect fit for him.

Deandre Ayton needs a new team 

First off, Deandre Ayton simply needs a new team. This means that a trade in general would make sense.

There were stirrings prior to last season about a possible trade. Everything dates back to the 2021-22 playoffs, when Ayton and former Suns head coach Monty Williams seemed to have tension between them. Although Williams is no longer the Suns' coach, Ayton would still benefit from a fresh start.

Joining the Mavs would give him an immediate opportunity to win. Yes, Dallas missed the postseason this past year. However, acquiring a big man with scoring and rebounding prowess like Ayton would help Luka Doncic and the Mavericks bounce back quickly. If they re-sign Kyrie Irving, the Mavs would have a legitimate big three.

Even if the Mavs don't sign Irving though, building around Ayton and Doncic would still lead to the team likely having a chance to compete.

Mavs need a star big man

The Mavericks need depth in the post. In fact, they need depth all over the roster. Adding better defenders around Luka Doncic is something they must accomplish this offseason.

However, acquiring a star in the post would take pressure off Luka Doncic and be crucial for Dallas. Former NBA player and current analyst/podcaster JJ Redick agrees, recently stating that Dallas needs a “prototypical modern five.” Ayton may not offer much long-range shooting prowess, but he helps in almost every other regard for the most part.

“The thing that I think they've really lacked is that prototypical modern five,” Redick said on The Old Man & the Three podcast on YouTube. “To me, that's the big you pair with Luka, a guy that is a rim protector, a guy that can play in drop coverage, that can be a lob threat offensively, because if you surround those two with a bunch of shooting, the floor is spread. You're going to have to double Luka at times. That leaves the rim open. That leaves threes open.”

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Redick certainly is not the only person around the NBA world who feels this way. But this article is about how the Mavs' current situation is perfect for Ayton, so how will this impact him?

As a result of their need for a reliable center, Ayton would automatically become a star alongside Luka Doncic. He has already played that role to an extent in Phoenix, but he may be in line for even more responsibility in Dallas, if a trade comes to fruition of course.

Luka Doncic, Deandre Ayton will make each other better

Finally, the potential duo of Luka Doncic and Deandre Ayton just makes sense.

Doncic is a terrific player off the screen. He would be lethal running the pick-and-roll as the ball-handler with Ayton. Luka is a capable passer and could feed Ayton if the defense played overly-aggressive on him. However, Doncic is obviously capable of pulling up off the screen and finding the bottom of the net as well.

Ayton's presence, as a player who can attack defenses in the pick-and-roll, would force opponents to pick their poison. This would lead to more open shots for Luka and open cutting lanes for Ayton, depending on who the defense decides to over-play.

They couldn't do it all on their own though. The Mavs must add shooters around them, as Redick stated. But trading for Deandre Ayton would allow Dallas to build a contending roster around a pair of stars.

There are no guarantees about what the future holds for Deandre Ayton, Luka Doncic, the Mavs, or the Suns. Both Phoenix and Dallas are expected to make notable moves this offseason. Perhaps completing a deal with one another for Deandre Ayton will find its way into both teams' plans.