As the Dallas Mavericks currently sit on a 12-22 record at the end of the year, good enough for 12th place in the Western Conference, it somehow feels believable that they will be one of the better teams in the west next season, and/or at least certainly for the foreseeable future. Cooper Flagg is better than advertised (if that’s possible) and is already an immediate difference-maker for the Mavs at 19 years of age (he’s been 19 years of age for less than two weeks, mind you).
There are, however,
the unavoidable bits of drama and hot button issues, mostly surrounding whether or not Anthony Davis should be exchanged for other talent/collateral before there aren’t any takers remaining in the market that could give them anything close to what they paid for him. On that note, though, Mav’s governor Patrick Dumont is said to be in favor of waiting until Kyrie Irving is healthy before making any further drastic trades involving their highest paid stars, especially as the idea of a healthy Irving and a healthy Davis suiting up next to rookie Flagg is one that many still want to explore in reality, as do I.
If they do exercise caution at the trade deadline with that experiment in mind, next season could kick off with more auspicious expectations, even though the current season did have those leading into camp. The big if, as always, is if the veteran duo part of that trio can stay healthy. The Mavericks also boast a rather deep roster at this point in time, with vets and young guys of generally high talent and high IQ rounding out the spots surrounding their elite talent.
So do they put any of them on the block in the coming weeks? Would it even make sense at this point? That probably depends on several factors, such as whether or not they’d prefer to seek draft capital in exchange for one of their oft-injured centers or rotational pieces. There are several things at play in this case, so there are strategic complications.
The Mavericks don’t control a first round pick until 2031 at this point due to trades and low quality personnel hires at the GM position in recent years. Would adding any of the available players in the league at this point bring them anywhere close to competing this season? Likely not. But if they did decide they were comfortable dealing Davis before Irving’s return, they could potentially net a quality starter and draft capital (there are a few rumors circulating out there), both of which could prove to be more reliable than Davis as they look to be competitors next season.
There are a few options. My favorite at this point is staying put. We’re stuck with what we were handed last season, but we were also handed a golden ticket in the draft. It makes the most sense to see what they can do as a fully healthy unit, which we haven’t come close to seeing yet. The possibility of moving a piece or two (such as Gafford due to his expiring contract) is also a possibility, though I myself would hate to see Gaff leave. But being a fan of this game is not for the faint-hearted, as all of us surely know by now.
What’s your opinion on what they should do at the deadline? Or what you believe they might do?
