The biggest buzz of the NBA offseason has finally arrived. The Portland Trail Blazers shipped off superstar point guard Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.
While the Dallas Mavericks had no part in the trade, and were never in the running for Lillard, the pressure seems higher than ever for the Mavericks to build around Luka Doncic. Will Doncic one day be shipped off as well, or will the Mavericks find a way to bring a second NBA championship to their franchise?
What’s Next For The Dallas Mavericks After Damian Lillard Trade?
BREAKING: The Portland Trail Blazers are trading guard Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/FRgQyDVjQG
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 27, 2023
There Is Still Plenty Of Time For The Dallas Mavericks
It seems like Doncic has already made a full career playing with the Mavericks. Doncic has been in the league for five seasons but is still just 24 years old.
Lillard, on the other hand, is nearing the downfall of his prime at 33 years old, but he still remains one of the league’s best players. The frustration for Doncic continues to boil as the Mavericks have made the playoffs three times with him. Of those three trips, the Mavericks got out of the first round just once.
Doncic is also in line to be the highest-paid player in NBA history once he is eligible for a Supermax contract. It’s a contract the Mavericks will be happy to give but may set them even further back for a chance at another championship.
In preparation for the contract, the Mavericks are looking to go younger and let their starting center Christian Wood enter free agency. It’s wise to keep the star player happy and with the team for hopefully the rest of his career, but what’s the next step for the Mavericks?
Are Kyrie Irving & Luka Doncic a top 5 duo in the NBA 🤔 pic.twitter.com/812S0nrRKQ
— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) September 27, 2023
Luka Doncic Needs Help
While it seems the Mavericks are slowly trying to keep Doncic happy with the Kyrie Irving trade last season, since Doncic has been with the team, there have been no other Mavericks All-Stars. In fact, the last Mavericks All-Star was Dirk Nowitzki in his final season.
Doncic presents something that not many other teams have: a dynamic superstar point guard with unreal abilities and someone who can easily compliment another great player.
Similar to LeBron James, Doncic works great in the open court. Spacing the floor for Doncic is the key to the Mavericks’ success, and a great free agent target for next season can be Buddy Hield.
Last season in 80 games with the Indiana Pacers, Hield shot 43% from the 3-point line. Hield has been one of the league’s top 3-point shooters and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
If the Mavericks want to go a bit bigger, Toronto Raptors power forward Pascal Siakam is also set to be a free agent. While Siakam won’t compliment Doncic as well as Hield, Siakam is coming off his second All-Star appearance of his career, averaging over 24 points and eight rebounds per game.
Both will probably cost a hefty amount of cash and will bring great pressure on retaining Doncic, but if the star player stays happy then all is well within the organization.
Kings 120 – Mavs 113
De'Aaron Fox: 28 PTS (11-19 FG), 5 AST, 3 REB, 3 STL
Buddy Hield: 28 PTS (12-23 FG)
Luka Doncic: 28 PTS (9-15 FG), 9 AST, 6 REB, 1 STLpic.twitter.com/HjchSLhefb— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) December 17, 2018
The Last Word On The Dallas Mavericks and Luka Doncic
The trade of Lillard sent shockwaves around the NBA with its newest superteam beginning to form. The Mavericks have some work to do if they want to get on the level of the Bucks.
Regardless, there are plenty of options around the NBA, and the Mavericks can make a stunning trade similar to the Bucks. Will Doncic be paired up with another All-Star player or will Irving be enough?
The Mavericks have time, but it’s wise to start looking at some other star options before Doncic and the Mavericks end up in the same scenario as Lillard and the Trail Blazers.
