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The Dallas Mavericks have had quite the offseason so far, most notably drafting Duke standout Cooper Flagg with the number one overall draft pick they recenty lucked into. The Mavericks are hoping that the core of Flagg, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis will be enough to vault them back into contender status in the Western Conference.
While most of the heavy lifting for this offseason is likely done, the Mavericks might not be done making moves along the margins, and recently, NBA insider Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com broke down another name that the Mavericks might have interest in: Dean Wade of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“It’s worth noting there was plenty of chatter in the desert about defense-first forward Dean Wade possibly being moved,” noted Fedor. “An unrestricted free agent following the season, the current belief is Wade likely wouldn’t return, with cap-strapped Cleveland being unable to afford him.”
Fedor also reported that “numerous contenders from each conference have expressed interest. The Dallas Mavericks have been fans for a few years, and a former Cleveland assistant is part of the coaching staff.”
Wade is a versatile forward who is known to be a sharpshooter and can also contribute on the defensive end of the floor.
Can the Mavericks compete?
The fact that the Mavericks were able to draft Cooper Flagg in this year's NBA draft certainly helped to soften the blow from the disastrous Luka Doncic trade.
If the Mavericks were healthy heading into this season, it's likely that they'd be considered among the upper echelon of teams in the Western Conference hierarchy.
Unfortunately, point guard Kyrie Irving will miss at least the first half of the campaign with a torn ACL injury that he suffered in early March. Meanwhile, Davis and Thompson are both notable injury risks at this point in their respective careers, and it remains to be seen how head coach Jason Kidd will manage their minutes in 2025-26.
The addition of Flagg of course is the true wild card, and it will be interesting to see how much the number one pick is ready to contribute right off the bat, especially considering the veteran talent he will have around him to help him adjust.
