5 Players Dallas Mavericks should look to trade for in the 2021 NBA offseason
Falling out of the playoffs in the first round is becoming an unwanted occurrence for Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. The Slovenian did all that he could to avenge their 2020 NBA Playoffs bubble defeat to the LA Clippers, but it ultimately wasn't enough. At the end of the day, he needs help and the Mavs have the ability to bring it in.
They have multiple players who are free agents or who could be used in trade deals for other stars. If Tim Hardaway Jr. were to leave as an unrestricted free agent and Josh Richardson opts out of his contract, the Mavs would be left with $32m of cap space. Then there is Kristaps Porzingis, whose fit with the franchise is clearly not working out due to his injury history and postseason nightmares.
In order to reshape the squad around Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks front office is going to have to make some bittersweet decisions if they want to compete again in a stacked Western Conference. In this article, we will outline five such players they can target.
5 Players the Dallas Mavericks should pursue in the offseason
#1 Lonzo Ball
The first area to address for the Dallas Mavericks this offseason is support for Luka Doncic in the backcourt. Beyond the Slovenian, they lacked creativity on offense and ranked 26th in assists per game during the regular season. They then ranked 12th out of the 16 teams who took part in the playoffs.
Jalen Brunson was a solid Sixth Man of the Year contender but was asked to do more than he is capable of. Therefore, the Mavs need to seriously consider bringing in a creator who can also knock down his own shot, such as Lonzo Ball. The New Orleans Pelicans guard becomes a free agent this summer and will have a slew of teams lining up to pry him on the market.
In order to compete in the powerhouse Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks need to bring in a floor general such as Ball. He has averaged over seven assists in two of the four seasons he has spent in the league and had a career-high shooting year this season.
At only 23, the Mavs would have a young backcourt pairing in the long-term and a player who has shown he can continue to improve his game. Ball does not need to dominate the ball, which works well alongside Doncic, but he can also be a reliable creator when defenses double-team the Slovenian.
#2 Buddy Hield
Although the Dallas Mavericks' biggest need heading into the offseason is getting a secondary ball-handler, they also need another reliable knockdown shooter in the backcourt. Buddy Hield of the Sacramento Kings could become available this summer after a disappointing couple of campaigns have brought his contract extension with the franchise into question.
With Tim Hardaway Jr. possibly departing the Dallas Mavericks with a major pay increase coming his way, Hield could fit in nicely alongside Doncic as a wing option off the pick-and-roll. Should Hardaway stay, the Mavs would have to get creative in order to bring in another ball handler such as DeMar DeRozan via sign-and-trade or a smaller name to fulfill the need.
Nevertheless, bringing in Hield could be very intriguing for Dallas Mavericks fans. He has become an excellent catch-and-shoot scorer and has connected with over 40% of his field-goal efforts in the last three seasons and at least 39% of threes. Moreover, he is an extremely reliable free-throw shooter although his abilities have not been tested in the playoffs yet.
To bring Hield in, the Mavericks could offer the Kings a trade package that includes Josh Richardson and Maxi Kleber, which would help Sacramento with salary flexibility in the future.