Could the Dallas Mavericks Look to Philly for a Center?

With the Dallas Mavericks possibly in the market for a center, could Philly be a trade partner?

This offseason the Dallas Mavericks are yet again scrambling to add talent around Dirk Nowitzki in hopes of having a championship caliber team before Father Time finally brings him down. One of the Mavs biggest needs is at the Center position, and they could potentially look to the Philadelphia 76ers for the big man of the future.

Recently the Sixers have said that they will be testing the trade market for one their many young talented big men, most likely Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor. Either Player would make an excellent addition to the Mavs roster.

Noel has spent time at both Center and Power Forward, and in all likelihood would play center for Dallas. He is a long, athletic big man who can swat shots down low as well as grab boards. His small frame and inexperience keeps him from being an elite post defender, but he can hold down the paint pretty effectively.

As far as his offensive game, lets just say there is plenty of room for improvement. He averaged 11 ppg last season, most of those coming off of garbage buckets and put backs. However, he is still young and would most likely learn a lot from the Mavs coaching staff and playing alongside Dirk Nowitzki.

Okafor, who it is rumored will be the most likely player to be shipped, shined his rookie year on the court. He is a solid athlete for a Center and is a skilled scorer. He can shoot the mid range and work in the post. His offensive prowess was in full display when he put up 31 points against Dallas.

However, off the court he had a number of hiccups, from getting in a fight outside of a club to having a gun pulled on him. These maturity issues make him more of a gamble, but also will likely effect the price at which he will be shopped. If other teams hesitate because of his off-court question marks, it may give the Mavs a window to snag a very talented player for a steal.

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The dilemma here is that Dallas really doesn’t have a lot to offer. We don’t have a high pick in the draft this year, and so many of the players on our roster are free agents, so we don’t have much to work with. In reality, the Mavs making a trade for either of these young studs is a long shot at best, but with an owner like Mark Cuban, nothing is impossible. I’ll keep crossing my fingers.