Dallas Mavericks: Wesley Matthews May Be Next Big Trade Asset

Of all the Dallas Mavericks throughout history that MFFLs never want to see traded, Wesley Matthews may be near the top of the list. His style of play, work ethic and veteran leadership may carry too much potential though.

The Dallas Mavericks currently have 6 rookies on the active roster. For those who have watched the team play and have been hear long enough to understand Coach Carlisle, that is absolute insanity. Dallas has always been a team full of veterans, and now all of a sudden, they’re not.

The Mavericks still have a few players older than 30 on the roster. Dirk Nowitzki, J.J. Barea, Devin Harris, and Wesley Matthews have all eclipsed the 30 year threshold, as well as Salah Mejri despite being in only his second season in the league. These players are all still producing well when healthy, but if the Mavs are going for a full reformation, some of these players may not last.

Obviously Devin Harris has been in trade talks for a little while, despite his recent uptick in production for the Mavs. Harris is fun to watch but is getting a little older, as he just turned 34. Barea probably would not bring much interest from other teams in the league, but the Mavs would still probably shop him.

Mejri is in the prime years of his career as he is only 30 years old. With much unproven from him still, Salah is likely not going anywhere. Dirk is Dirk. He will be a Maverick for life and, sadly, that will not be much longer. That leaves the Mavericks with Wesley Matthews.

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Matthews has been the heart of this Mavs team in a lot of ways. From his tenacity, to his timely buckets, to his all-around veteran leadership, Wes really has been a great player for Dallas. Other teams see his greatness too. Matthews has shot the ball well his entire career, has been one of the best wing defenders in the league for a long time, and has missed only a handful of games from an Achilles tear.

Players like Wesley Matthews don’t come around very often, and at 30 years old, he is still in what should be the prime of his career. The Achilles tear certainly set Matthews back and he has not looked quite the same since it happened, but even with that small limitation, he is still one of the best 3-D guys in the game.

I am not saying that the Mavs should trade Wes as he is one of my favorite players on the team. But, Dallas should realize that his price tag is going to be up this summer and, with a stacked draft on the horizon, many teams will be interested in acquiring a seasoned-veteran who is still fairly young in the NBA’s eyes, for the price of an unproven rookie.

To me, it is simple. The interest will be there and the Mavs will be able to find a good deal. All that we really will be proving is whether or not Mark Cuban was serious about the complete youth movement in an effort to rebuild the team quickly. Will Matthews withstand the test and be the new voice of leadership after Dirk is gone? Or will those reigns be passed to 24 year old Barnes?

Next: Should the Dallas Mavericks Consider Larry Sanders?

This summer is going to be an interesting one for Dallas. As a potential lottery pick awaits us and some certain roster moves to be made, only time will tell what the Mavs full plan is before next season.