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The Dallas Mavericks are somewhat stabilizing after a poor start. The Luka Doncic-led Mavs are sitting 5th in the Western Conference. But, they are a full five games behind the 4th seed Memphis Grizzlies. Their season should have been much better, as they have two All-Star players in Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, but the duo cannot find chemistry together. This is their third season together and while individual stats are there for both, the Mavs cannot seem to get ahead in the postseason. They clearly need help, so when the Indiana Pacers made Myles Turner widely available, the Mavs and their eccentric owner, Mark Cuban, took notice. To help them get there, here is the perfect trade the Mavericks must offer the Pacers for Myles Turner.
The perfect Mavs trade offer for Pacers' Myles Turner
Mavs get Myles Turner, Jeremy Lamb; Indiana Pacers get Kristaps Porzingis
This is a great trade for both teams. They will be able to better unlock their potential with these players. The Mavs do this deal because they finally get a player that fits their system better than Porzingis. The Pacers do this deal because they get a player who has proven he can lead a team.
Porzingis is not the player he was with the New York Knicks. When he was in New York and the out-and-out best player on the team, “The Unicorn” was playing on a much higher level. Clearly, playing with someone like Doncic does not suit him, and while Indiana has other stars, Porzingis has the most experience and would be able to lead.
In detail, from the Pacers side, they will actually get a great player in exchange for Turner, and one that works much better with Domantas Sabonis. Porzingis is a very tall player, but he does not play under the basket much. He relies on most of his points from jumpers and he puts up a lot of shots outside of the arc. The Mavericks forward's efficiency can be discussed, as he is shooting a career-low 28.2% from three this year. Still, he would be a worthwhile investment for many reasons.
As mentioned, the Mavs star is a much better fit next to Sabonis than Turner. Turner clogs the lane, which gets more defensive players into the middle, where Sabonis operates. The Lithuanian is a very good handler, so it does not affect him much, but he would look much better next to Porzingis. If the defense collapses, Sabonis could use his passing skills to find Porzingis open for a mid-range or a three-point jump shot. There are endless possibilities for the duo and it would be interesting to see how it looks on the court.
Like father, like son 👨👦
Domantas Sabonis' flair and passing ability resembles his dad, Arvydas!
The @Pacers face off with Milwaukee tonight at 7:00pm/et on ESPN pic.twitter.com/AYq9LOUh2T
— NBA (@NBA) February 3, 2021
The contract is a problem but it does not have to be. Porzingis is still a 20 points per game scorer, so he will garner trade offers whenever he is made available. Thus, if they feel like this Mavs trade has not worked out for them, the Pacers would always be able to flip Porzingis, and unless he has another major injury, “The Unicorn” will be worth at least a first-round pick.
From the Mavs side, it is obvious that Turner looks much better next to Doncic than Porzingis. In simple terms, what Doncic really needs is a defensive line behind him. He is not a mobile player, which immediately makes him a poor defender in today's NBA. Thus, rather than the lanky, offensive-minded Porzingis, the Mavs should have gone for a Turner-like player before. Turner is a defensive anchor who led the NBA in blocks for two seasons and leads the league again this season.
In terms of Jeremy Lamb, he would also be a solid rotational piece for the Mavs. He has not been having a great season, averaging just 7.0 points per game. However, his veteran leadership and guidance can help young guys like Jalen Brunson, whose offensive game can be fine tuned. Also, Lamb is an expiring contract, so at worst, the Mavericks will need to hold on to him for one season and then possibly decide whether they want to keep him.
The Mavs, hopefully for them and their fans, realized that Porzingis and Doncic cannot play together. Unfortunately for the Mavs, their backs are against the wall financially. They gave Tim Hardaway Jr. a massive extension in the summer which has proved to be a poor decision. However, with this move, they would be able to get Doncic a defensive anchor, young guys on their roster ,a veteran player to learn from, and they would get rid of at least one awful contract on the roster.
