The Dallas Mavericks will be earnestly rebuilding their team around Cooper Flagg this offseason. Big changes are already underway following the hiring of Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz (as President and GM, respectively) and the departure of Jason Kidd. With the NBA season officially no more than five games from being over at this point, it’s time to start looking at what Dallas can do to reshape their team going into the 2026-2027 season.
In staff discussions at Mavs Moneyball, we often prognosticate
on various trade scenarios, leaving nothing off the table of possibilities. So long as the trade would actually work in reality, we entertain it. Wanting to bring these ideas and discussions to a wider audience, I’ve elected myself curator of the crazy (but far more often, thoughtful) trade ideas that frequently fly about our internal discussions. With that, I welcome you to a new series – Trade Talk.
The parameters are simple. The trade proposal must go through a legitimate trade machine, such as that found on Spotrac.com, and must actually work in reality under NBA trade rules. There will be no trading Mark Cuban for the ghost of Wilt Chamberlain. I’ll select some of the trade proposals we bandy about and we’ll debate the value of each. First up is MMB’s Jack Nowicki’s proposed trade with the Sacramento Kings.
The trade proposal
The Mavericks use their traded player exception (TPE) to take on Malik Monk. Their reward for this service is a swap of Dallas’ #9 pick for Sacramento’s #7 pick in the 2026 draft. Sacramento also gets some cash considerations for their part.
The discussion
Mike: This is an interesting one, because it seems so rare that TPEs are actually ever used. Getting a player that scored 12.5 points per game and knocked down nearly 40% of his threes last season, without giving up any player assets doesn’t sound like a bad exchange. That said, the real value in this trade you’ve proposed seems to lie elsewhere, yes?
Jack: Absolutely. While Monk could be a useful player next season, the real prize is moving from pick #9 to pick #7. The purpose for this small trade-up is if the Mavericks fall head-over-heels for a guard who is unlikely to fall to their current pick. Obviously, we don’t know who this could be, but knowing Ujiri, it would not surprise me if he loves Keaton Wagler and Mikel Brown Jr. For the Kings, they sit in a unenviable situation where they are simultaneously very expensive and years away from contention. Trading Monk allows the Kings to duck the luxury-tax and build future cap flexibility. The issue with trading Monk is that the Kings will be hesitant to part with any future draft assets, meaning they have few ways of getting out of his money – that’s where this trade-down becomes a solution. If the Kings aren’t sold on the options at #7, this trade gives them the flexibility they require while keeping a pick within the top-10. This move highlights how the TPE could become very valuable and why the Mavericks should get creative this offseason.
Mike: I agree that the key to this is who is still standing when the #7 pick comes up. Monk would cost Dallas $20 million this year, then $21 million the following year in the likely event he picks up his player option. At that point, he may add value as an expiring contract in a future trade, but he comes at a relatively steep price until then. I like how the Anthony Davis trade gave the Mavs better cap flexibility, so I’m hopeful they’ll utilize it in the most favorable way.
If Dallas really does their homework and knows for sure “their guy” is gone when the #9 pick is selected, then I’d be more inclined to do this trade. I think Dallas really needs to nail their first pick in this draft and the shift of two spots that you’ve proposed could certainly help them do that.
Jack: One other thing to highlight is that Monk is not an outright negative player. He has major flaws, but would bring a spark of ball-handling and shooting off the bench that could be very useful for this team. He also can be an effective offensive player whether he has the ball or not, meaning he could play next to another guard.
Mike: True. That could come in handy in a number of ways. He’s arguably an upgrade over both Brandon Williams and Ryan Nembhard, and could take some load off Kyrie Irving as he’s working his way back into the swing of things. Monk might not be the best or cheapest guard option, but well said – he’s certainly serviceable and his 40% three point shooting would be huge for the Mavs.
Sound off in the comments section below with your thoughts on this proposal as constructed, or perhaps how it could be altered or abandoned altogether.
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