Trades are coming to the Dallas Mavericks. Pick at least one player you expect to get traded and one player you think should stay in a Mavericks uniform by the trade deadline.
Jack: One player that I expect to get traded is Klay Thompson. While he started the season poorly, he’s been much better as of late, and will surely draw interest from several contending teams. While he isn’t nearly what he used to be, Klay still provides high-level shooting off the bench and isn’t a terrible defender. I believe
the Mavericks could get an expiring contract, plus second-round picks, which would provide financial flexibility and extra shots at young players. I would expect teams such as San Antonio, the Lakers, and the Pistons to have interest if/when the Mavericks begin to shop him.
One player that the Mavericks should keep is Kyrie Irving. While he may not fit the long-term plan of this team, he still provides major value off the court and can still be a game-changer when he plays. Now if Kyrie asks out, than the Mavericks should honor his request, but I think Kyrie is content to ride out his career in Dallas, where he is loved by the fans and city at large. Since the Mavericks do not own their pick in the 2027 draft, they should try and be competitive, and Kyrie will surely help in that endeavor. Finally, I believe that playing alongside Kyrie will be a massive positive for Cooper Flagg. He already has thrived next to Brandon Williams, and Ryan Nembhard, just imagine how he will look next to an all-time great guard such as Kyrie.
Isaac: Anthony Davis has gotten a lot of the attention lately via trade talks so I’ll stay off that topic for this conversation. I expect Daniel Gafford to be moved this season. He’s on a friendly deal for what he provides and he’s already generating interest around the league. With Finals experience and a good court vision, I think there’s a team out there that could talk themselves into Gafford being a missing piece for them.
As for keeping players, I think you have to keep Flagg, Nembhard, and Lively, though that last one may be a given with his season-ending surgery. Additionally, Kyrie should stay as long as he wants. I think he can be a good mentor to the young guys, and he’s off the books in two seasons so his bigger contract won’t affect the timeline of Flagg’s prime much, if at all.
Bryan: No matter what, Anthony Davis and Daniel Gafford must go. Those two cannot remain on this roster past the trade deadline. Even considering extending Anthony Davis will spell death for this franchise after being gifted rebirth in the shape of Cooper Flagg and Daniel Gafford is a player drastically overrated by the fanbase and team sources of front office insiders. While Anthony Davis is upright and Daniel Gafford has value, they have to be traded. There is nothing left for them here and it is time for the mavericks to move on from a front court of solely play finishers with no on-ball offensive engine to create advantages for them. Get picks, get expiring contracts, get role players with varied skillsets. Whatever you can. But pull yourself out of the quicksand and put one foot in front of the other.
As for players who should remain, the aforementioned trades have to create room under the tax apron for two things between now and this summer: a Ryan Nembhard long-term deal that sends him to restricted free agency when it is up and a reasonably priced 4 year extension for Max Christie.
Michael: My pick for player I expect to be traded is Anthony Davis. It just seems like an inevitability at this point. Nico Harrison’s reign is over and AD was his guy. AD is not on the same timeline as Cooper Flagg. AD can likely net you a better package than anyone else the Mavs can move. At some point (if not already), AD is likely going to want to move to a team that is closer to win-now mode. All of these things make it feel like he will be gone by the trade deadline and I fully expect that to be the case at this point.
My pick for player I think should stay in a Mavericks uniform (there are many, but I’ll pick just one to talk about) is Daniel Gafford. It’s becoming apparent to me that I stand all but alone in this thought process, but there I stand nonetheless. I just can’t rationalize a reason he should go. He’s relatively cheap. He’s reasonably within the timeline of where the team is going. Dereck Lively just went down for the season (a center tandem of Cisse and Powell is basically unfair to everyone involved, including those two players themselves). He’s a solid, capable player who can at least help the Mavs remain entertaining while still (hopefully) getting a high draft pick. I can’t fathom being so thin at both guard and center – absent Lively and assuming AD is traded, Gafford is the only player on the roster that can reasonably start at center. Under the current circumstances, he gets my vote for the player that should not be traded.
Kirk: The Dereck Lively injury really complicates this. I think Daniel Gafford is probably the most direct player to trade but now I think Dallas needs him. He’s on the last year of a deal before his extension kicks in and is a good enough center to eat off the bench of a good team. But this seems murky at best right now.
As for the player to stay… I want Klay Thompson to stick around. He’s fun, he’s a winner, and he tells the truth about what’s going on every time he’s asked. Give me that kind of leadership on the Mavs now and always.
