Dallas Mavs Top Trade Need: 4 Targets to Consider After 20 Games
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks have achieved a 12-8 start to the season through 20 games, ranking fifth in the Western Conference standings. There is still room for improvement, particularly in the performance of the supporting cast around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Top Priority at NBA Trade Deadline: Perimeter Size
In the offseason, the Mavs prioritized pursuing a veteran big man — including Deandre Ayton and Clint Capela — before eventually coming to learn just how impactful Dereck Lively II would be in his rookie season. While perhaps adding a veteran rim protector for the bench unit could help, there are more significant immediate needs.
The Mavs continue to display a need to improve defensively, even with Lively overachieving in his rookie season. A continued theme for the team's personnel has been the undersized perimeter combinations deployed throughout the flow of a typical game.
The only wing with the ideal physical frame is Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who stands at 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and weighs 230 pounds. He can guard multiple positions, whether it's a quicker guard or a bigger forward. The ideal outcome would be rapid progression in his development, but another wing would help.
How Can it Be Addressed?
The options tend to be limited to various factors when pursuing a roster upgrade during the season. A player becoming available tends to result from a team pivoting to a rebuild, a contract situation requiring a firm decision, a trade request being made, or a team simply having enough assets to make a big move.
The Mavs face limitations regarding what first-round draft capital they can leverage in a trade package during the season. Since they still owe the New York Knicks a first-round pick from the Kristaps Porzingis trade in 2019, Dallas is limited to only parting with a 2027 first-round selection until that outgoing pick is resolved. They are incapable of presenting an irresistible trade offer for a substantial contributor.
It becomes more challenging when factoring in some of the salary cap obstacles involved with moving a young player like Josh Green, who is now subject to the Poison Pill Provision after signing a three-year, $41 million contract extension.
Dream Target — O.G. Anunoby, Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors star O.G. Anunoby during the 2023-24 NBA season.
Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Many teams capable of producing far more intriguing trade packages will undoubtedly pursue the Toronto Raptors forward if the eventual resolution to his situation is a move of this nature. As one of the NBA's elite wing defenders, he naturally will command heavy interest. He'd have to want to force his way to Dallas, but even the Mavs' potential midseason trade package is underwhelming.
He's averaging 15.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists through 17 appearances this season, a continued decline in production in scoring and rebounding annually since the 2021-22 season. He doesn't appear primed to make a superstar leap that some thought he'd be capable of achieving, but he could be maximized playing alongside the elite playmaking of Doncic.
One element to consider is that Anunoby will surely opt out of his $19.9 million player option for the 2024-25 season. He will need to handle the upcoming deadline, similar to how Irving approached last year's trade deadline. If a desired contract extension doesn't transpire with the Raptors, protecting his Bird Rights by pushing his way to a team he wants to re-sign with via trade would be ideal.
The Raptors face no benefit from not getting a new contract worked out with Anunoby, but it all depends on his desire to remain with the team for the long haul. Toronto has shown a willingness to allow situations to play out until free agency, with players like Fred VanVleet and Kyle Lowry walking for nothing.
Expensive Contract, But... — Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers star Jerami Grant during the 2023-24 NBA season.
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
There are a lot of boxes checked by a player like Jerami Grant in terms of being a solid trade target for the Mavs. He brings needed perimeter size and an ability to score by putting the ball on the floor to get into the paint or take a pull-up jumper. He can space the floor by knocking down catch-and-shoot looks and is an impactful yet versatile defender. There's a lot to like about the basketball element of it all.
The main issue? He's at the start of a five-year, $160.0 million contract Grant signed with the Trail Blazers in free agency before the team mutually parted ways with Damian Lillard by making a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks. It wouldn't be challenging for the Mavs to match salary, but a midseason move could make reconfiguring the depth chart challenging.
Considering the limited nature of the Mavs' midseason trade outlook, some sacrifices would surely need to be made for a player averaging 22.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists with the ability to defend. In this instance, Dallas would need to be prepared to take on his contract and navigate the roster challenges that come with it.
Realistic & Familiar Option — Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith during the 2023-24 NBA season.
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
It's uncommon for a team to have a player already out there who has a strong familiarity with their superstar and head coach, along with plenty of the role players still on the roster. Dorian Finney-Smith played 311 total games (including playoffs) with Doncic during his time with the Mavs.
While Finney-Smith might be limited in terms of shot creation and generating rim pressure, he has the ideal defensive skill set the team lacks on the perimeter. He already knows the defensive system and can handle those shifty guards, but he also has the size and length to play the four and five spots in various lineup combinations.
Finney-Smith is amid a career year with the Brooklyn Nets after struggling to shoot the ball to close last season following the midseason trade. He's averaging 11.2 points and 5.5 rebounds, shooting 47.3 percent from the floor and 45.6 percent from beyond the arc. He's been one of the NBA's top catch-and-shoot threats, even without benefiting from playing next to a dynamic talent like Doncic or Irving.
The main concern would be the trade compensation required to entice the Nets to part with Finney-Smith. Would it be worthwhile to complete a trade to acquire a complementary talent set to turn 31 in May? Given the value of him being in the second year of a four-year, $55.6 million contract, it would likely require parting with a future first-round pick and other compensation.
Rekindle Past Interest for Shooting — Bojan Bogdanovic, Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic during the 2023-24 NBA season.
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
While the Mavs would be sacrificing defensive capabilities, a trade target like Bojan Bogdanovic from a losing team could be a helpful addition. He's struggled to stay healthy this season, appearing in only two games entering Friday's NBA action. However, he's been an impactful volume scorer with a highly efficient ability to convert on catch-and-shoot attempts.
Back to the start of the 2022-23 season, Bogdanovic has averaged 21.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting 41.0 percent from deep on 6.1 attempts per game. He can enhance a high-powered offensive team with his ability to space the floor, attack closeouts, and play out of both on and off-ball screening actions.
The main challenge with Bogdanovic as a trade target the Mavs face is a more exaggerated version of the drawback in trading for Finney-Smith. Bogdanovic will be 35 in April, meaning there could be a decline and a continued struggle to stay healthy, making parting with significant trade compensation something to hesitate about.
If the Pistons have to lower their trade ask and come to a mutual understanding that parting ways is a logical outcome, the Mavs would be wise to inquire, at least. Adding a 6-foot-7 wing would also be a helpful way to play into the identity of being a jump-shooting team without sacrificing as much size.
