The last two seasons, prior to this current one, saw the Dallas Mavericks set record-shattering numbers on offense. Although the roster hasn’t changed drastically, those numbers are way down this season. Dallas, however, remains in major playoff contention due to the elite defense they’ve been displaying under new head coach Jason Kidd.
One of the team’s leading scorers in Tim Hardaway Jr suffered a fractured foot earlier this week. According to Marc Stein, this injury can keep Hardaway Jr out for at least 10 weeks. With the trade deadline swiftly approaching, the Mavericks need to ponder some deals to improve their offense. They don’t need to be blockbuster trades, but enough to keep the offense afloat for now and perhaps being even better for the playoffs and Hardaway Jr’s return.
Dallas Mavericks: Two Trades to Improve Scoring
Upgrading two positions
The trade: Dallas sends their Josh Richardson trade exception, Dwight Powell, Trey Burke, and a future first-round pick to the Toronto Raptors for Goran Dragic and Chris Boucher.
First off, Toronto makes this move to avoid losing Dragic and Boucher for nothing this offseason. This is especially true for Dragic, as Toronto does not use the veteran and plenty of teams have him on their radar.
Dragic is an offensive mastermind. He’s an intelligent passer, overall high IQ player, and can score in a variety of ways. He’s also Slovenian. In the grand scheme of things, this may not be important, but fellow Slovenian Luka Doncic has expressed a desire to play with Dragic. He’s a great veteran to add to the team. Boucher is also a very solid big man who can possibly start for Dallas. He has the capability to defend the rim and also stretch the floor. Boucher is interchangeable with Maxi Kleber, which gives Dallas a good option next to Kristaps Porzingis.
Toronto gets Powell, a big man who also happens to be Canadian. He has an extra year on Boucher contract-wise and remains an above-average player. Burke can get playing time too off the bench, as he’s a veteran guard with a knack for scoring. He also has two seasons left on his contract. Toronto gets the trade exception to use, while they also get a solid asset in the first-round pick.
Dealing with an old Dallas Mavericks friend
The trade: Dallas sends Powell and a second-round pick to the Indiana Pacers for TJ Warren.
If there’s one thing Dallas fans know from Rick Carlisle’s tenure in Dallas, it’s that he loves Powell. Indiana is likely to trade one of their starting big men this deadline, which opens up space for Powell. This allows them to not prioritize getting another big man in return in the other trades. Carlisle will surely welcome Powell back.
Dallas acquires a scorching scorer in Warren. He’s struggled with injuries, but when healthy he’s a threat in all offensive facets. Not only can he replace Hardaway Jr’s scoring, but he can possibly do better as well. In addition, Warren is on an expiring contract. If he plays well, Dallas can do what they have to do to bring him back. If the deal doesn’t work out, then salary is cleared for Dallas to make important decisions this offseason regarding Jalen Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith.
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