NBA Trade Rumors: Dallas Mavericks 'dark horse' contenders for 2x All-Defense star and 2 other key players from the Eastern Conference
As per the latest NBA trade rumors, the Dallas Mavericks are looking to bolster their squad ahead of the trade deadline. They have been linked with three intriguing prospects that could elevate their chances of doing well come the postseason.
Detroit's Jerami Grant, Atlanta's John Collins and Boston's Marcus Smart are the three stars the Mavericks are eyeing, as per Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus. Here's what he mentioned in his recent report:
"One dark-horse team mentioned as being interested in Grant was the Dallas Mavericks, with Dorian Finney-Smith and probably Dwight Powell as the primary pieces. The Mavericks have also been linked to Collins in Atlanta and Marcus Smart in Boston."
The Dallas Mavericks have the fifth-best record (28-20) in the NBA's Western Conference as of January 24th. They've had a shaky start to the season, but with eight wins in their last ten games, the Mavericks find themselves in a comfortable position in the West standings. Luka Doncic and Co. are 1.5 games behind the fourth-seeded Utah Jazz and will be keen to secure home-court advantage.
The Mavs have held opponents to below 50% shooting in 23 straight games.
They have won 11 of 13. https://t.co/UrFuKkUSlT
NBA Trade Rumors: Analyzing why Dallas Mavericks should make a move for Jerami Grant, John Collins or Marcus Smart
Any of Jerami Grant, John Collins, or Marcus Smart will provide a significant push to the Mavericks' hopes of doing that. Grant and Smart will be upgrades on Dorian Finney-Smith on the defensive end while still being capable scorers in their own right.
Meanwhile, Smart resolves the point guard situation for the Dallas Mavericks as he could take pressure off Luka Doncic on offense as an additional playmaker. Smart is also an excellent defender, who could help Dallas do well in the playoffs.
The Mavs need to capitalize on Luka Doncic's presence on their roster. He signed a five-year Supermax rookie extension before the start of the season, committing his long-term future to the franchise. However, things could change in the NBA quickly, especially in the case of a player of Doncic's caliber, who will be keen to achieve collective success.
Luka Doncic in his last 10 games:
26.6 PPG
10.6 REB
9.1 AST
1.6 STL
8-2 Record
Dallas also has the BEST defensive rating in the NBA at 100.0 in those 10 games https://t.co/MqiT7swf5L
Surrounding him with the right pieces could make the Dallas Mavericks a legitimate title contender for years to come. The Mavs have moveable assets like Jalen Brunson, Dwight Powell, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Finney-Smith on their roster. All of these young stars generated interest in the market last offseason, so Dallas has several options they can consider to strengthen their squad midseason, which will help them finally get out of the first round this time round.