Top Realistic Center Upgrades for Mavs in Free Agency or Trades
Coming off a surprising and encouraging playoff run that ended in the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors, the Dallas Mavericks showed glimpses of how they could be a true title contender going forward if certain roster tweaks are made this summer.
Although adding a second All-Star caliber player next to Luka Doncic is a top priority, another main area Dallas needs to address is its starting center position. As much as the organization loves Dwight Powell, who is considered a played in all 100 of the Mavs’ games this season, having him remain as a starter going forward just isn’t going to cut it if the team wants to take the next step towards winning a title.
"We need to get somebody to help us on the rebounds, a rim protector,” said GM Nico Harrison at exit interviews on Friday.
With that in mind, here are the top realistic center upgrade options for the Mavs to pursue this offseason:
Myles Turner - Indiana Pacers
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Myles Turner, who is a Dallas native, has been linked to the Mavs in a handful of trade rumors over the years, including this season. The 26-year-old versatile big man checks nearly every box when it comes to what the Mavs are looking for in a starting center, but the main one is rim protection.
Turner averaged 12.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game for the Pacers this season. Despite averaging just 29.4 minutes, he led the league with 2.8 blocks per game. The second-closest player to Turner in that category was Memphis Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. with 2.3 blocks per game. Turner also shot 50.9 percent from the field, including 33.3 percent from deep.
The Mavs have a couple of things going for them when it comes to a potential Turner trade. He is entering the final year of his contract, and he's coming off a season where he played just 42 games due to a foot injury. If he doesn’t sign an extension with the Pacers this summer, he would have some leverage in where he’d potentially be traded.
Turner’s $18 million contract is a lot easier for the Mavs to obtain in a trade than someone like Utah Jazz’s Ruby Gobert, who is set to make $43 million next season. NBA reporter Marc Stein suggests that Dallas’ interest in Gobert isn't as high as recent rumors have indicated because of this. Trading Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell – two players Pacers' head coach Rick Carlisle knows well – for Turner would fit perfectly.
Richaun Holmes - Sacramento Kings
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The Kings made history in a bad way this season, as they set an NBA record for most consecutive years (16) without a playoff appearance. Sacramento already started the process of shaking things up – whether it was smart or not depends on who you ask – by trading promising young guard Tyrese Haliburton to the Pacers for Domantas Sabonis. More moves could be on the horizon, including a change of scenery for Richaun Holmes.
Holmes is another center who has been connected to Dallas in past rumors. He averaged 10.4 points and seven rebounds in just 23.9 minutes per game. Holmes' per-36 averages were 15.7 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Although he doesn't have the same offensive versatility that Turner has, Holmes is an elite rim runner who is a much better rebounder than anyone on the Mavs' current roster not named Luka Doncic.
Take into consideration that Holmes makes a little more than half of what Turner makes ($11.2 million next season), and you can see how this could be an enticing option for the Mavs to pursue in a trade.
Wendell Carter Jr. - Orlando Magic
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Even before the Magic landed the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, it was widely expected that Mo Bamba was on his way out the door with Wendall Carter Jr. solidifying himself as Orlando's starting center this season. If the Magic select Chet Holmgren, what would that mean for Carter Jr.'s future as well?
If there's any doubts whatsoever, the Mavs should do their best to see what it would take to land Carter Jr. in a trade. He averaged 15 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 62 games for Orlando this season. He also shot 52.5 percent from the field, including 32.7 percent from deep. Carter isn't necessarily the shot-blocker that Bamba is, but his rebounding and ability to score inside would help Dallas a lot.
Honorable Mentions
Given the Mavs' salary cap situation, obtaining a new starting center through a trade appears to be the most viable way to go. That said, there's still a handful of centers on the free agency market that could be pursued, including: Bamba (RFA), Mitchell Robinson (UFA), Jusuf Nurkic (UFA), Andre Drummond (UFA), Isaiah Hartenstein (UFA), DeMarcus Cousins (UFA), among others.
