The Mavericks' Most Likely Trade Candidate, According to Insiders

The Dallas Mavericks are one of the teams to watch ahead of the trade deadline.

Dallas Mavericks guard D'Angelo Russell warms up prior to the game against the Los Angeles Clippers. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The Dallas Mavericks are inching closer to the trade deadline, and the team is looking to be one of the league's sellers.

The Mavs are projected to be a lottery team for the second year in a row, and that allows them to try and gain some value through trading some of their more desirable players. HoopsHype insider Michael Scotto is reporting that Mavericks point guard D'Angelo Russell could be traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.

"Russell, who’s averaging 10.2 points and 4.0 assists in 19.0 minutes per game, has a $5.97 million player option for the 2026-27 season. Should Milwaukee acquire Russell, the Bucks would likely look to acquire second-round draft capital while offering Dallas salary relief towards the luxury tax this season and clearing Dallas of Russell’s player option for next season," Scotto wrote.

READ MORE: 5 Trades for Dallas Mavericks to Consider Ahead of NBA's Deadline

Dallas Mavericks guard D'Angelo Russell warms up prior to the game against the Los Angeles Clippers. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

D'Angelo Russell On The Block

Russell 29 is averaging 10.2 points and four assists per game so far this season for the Mavericks. He has only appeared in 26 games for the team and has not played since Jan. 10 against the Chicago Bulls. He has fallen out of the rotation for the Mavericks because the team is looking to play its younger players, including two-way rookie Ryan Nembhard and third-year pro Jaden Hardy.

While Russell has fallen out of the rotation for the Mavericks, that doesn't mean he isn't someone worth trading for on other teams. Any team in need of a veteran point guard could make sense for the Mavericks as a Russell trade partner.

The Bucks make sense because they need some playmaking skills outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo. He could provide that spark that could get the Bucks to the fringe of the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference.

Another team that makes sense for Russell is the Houston Rockets, who are in need of adding a point guard for the second unit, but can't give up too much in terms of a return package.

In the meantime, the Mavericks are playing the Rockets inside Toyota Center at 7:30 p.m. CT. Fans can watch the game on ABC or stream it on the ESPN app.

READ MORE: What the Mavericks Actually Need at the Trade Deadline — And What They Don't

Stick with MavericksGameday for more FREE coverage of the Dallas Mavericks throughout the 2025-26 season

Follow MavericksGameday on Twitter and Austin Veazey on Twitter

More Dallas Mavericks News

• 3 Overreactions as Luka Doncic leads Lakers to Late Rally Over Mavericks

• Mavericks' Cooper Flagg Earns Rave Reviews From NBA Executives

• Mavericks Legend Dirk Nowitzki 'Not Worried' About Cooper Flagg's Biggest Weakness

• Conflicting Reports Surface of Anthony Davis Trade Demand Away From Mavericks