This season hasn’t heavily favored the Dallas Mavericks, despite the public’s expectations surrounding the team. The Mavs have shown fight in recent weeks, entering the NBA Cup week with a 9-16 record, winning four of their last five games with wins over the Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, and Houston Rockets.
However, the team’s ceiling is arguably unrealistic at the moment. If a Western Conference Semifinals appearance is in mind, Dallas must think about the future, which involves building around Cooper Flagg while trading some veteran players. Here’s who the Mavs would and wouldn’t trade in the near future.
Who the Dallas Mavericks Would Trade
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Mavericks are expected to explore trades for multiple key veterans on the team.
“The Mavericks are open to exploring the trade markets for Anthony Davis, center Daniel Gafford, and guards Klay Thompson and D’Angelo Russell,” Charania wrote. “Thompson, who joined Dallas during free agency in July 2024, was sold on joining the Mavericks to play alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on a team coming off a run to the Finals. With Doncic gone and the franchise winning at a below-.500 clip, teams across the league know Thompson prefers to be part of a contender over the remaining two years of his three-year, $50 million deal.
“After a slow start to the season, the four-time champion is averaging 12.8 points per game on 39.5% 3-point shooting in his past 10 games while holding opponents to 38.5% shooting as their closest defender, which ranks 10th out of 120 guards to defend 50-plus shots since the stretch began.”
The Mavs might want to trade other players. Dereck Lively II’s injuries have been a concern in Dallas, which can worry other NBA teams. Lively II’s impact isn’t the same without a star point guard alongside him. He has only played in about 50% of games. Caleb Martin and Jaden Hardy’s contracts can help the Mavs in the near future. Martin and Hardy have played for a few minutes on the court.
Who the Mavericks Shouldn’t Trade
The Mavericks’ players on the current roster who should be safe are Flagg, Irving, and PJ Washington. Perhaps Ryan Nembhard, if he converts to a standard contract soon.
Final Thoughts
PJ Washington’s current contract extension makes him ineligible to be traded until after this season. Naji Marshall is on a similar boat, but if the right offer enters the picture, neither Washington nor Marshall would be safe.
