Mavs Linked to Suns' Deandre Ayton & Bucks' Khris Middleton in Trade Rumors
The Dallas Mavericks have a lot of holes to fill on their roster, but they might not have the trade assets to address them all in one offseason. That could change, though, depending on how things go in the NBA Draft Lottery, which will take place on May 16. The Mavs have the 10th-best odds of winning the top pick, and they're due for some good fortune with how all of their other lottery appearances have gone.
Despite having to wait to see what their full extent of potential trade assets will end up being, the Mavs could already be planning to pursue certain upgrades regardless of their draft positioning. According to a report from The Athletic, league sources tell them that Phoenix Suns big man Deandre Ayton and Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton are two possible names on the Mavs' radar.
"Some names that have been floated as possibilities include the Phoenix Suns’ Deandre Ayton and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Khris Middleton," Tim Cato wrote. "But whether either party has mutual interest, or whether Dallas has the resources to acquire them, won’t be answered until this summer."
In that same report, Cato mentions that multiple league sources consider Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green and Jaden Hardy as "the only [non-Luka Doncic] players who are seen with clear positive value around the league." If that is truly the case, then things could get interesting for Dallas this summer whether a trade for Ayton or Middleton is in the cards or not, as other teams' roster shakeups could come into play.
The Mavs still have their 2027 first-round pick that can be included in any potential deals, and they can move this year's pick as well – assuming they keep it – after they make the selection. Ayton and Middleton would definitely be upgrades for this Mavs' roster if individual deals happened, but could a package of Hardaway, Green, Hardy and their remaining picks bring them back a better package deal like Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors?
That's just one example we have in mind, and there will be many other potential trade scenarios we'll brainstorm here at DallasBasketball.com in the coming weeks and months. One thing is for sure though: the Mavs need more than just a single roster move to help out Luka Doncic ... and hopefully Kyrie Irving as well if they can retain him in free agency. Dallas needs multiple upgrades, and only time will tell if it has enough in the asset cupboard to pull that off before next season begins.
Follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter @dalton_trigg.
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