Is There a Scenario Where the Dallas Mavericks Should Trade Back in Draft?

The Dallas Mavericks have only a handful of games left in the season and it is looking more and more likely that their first pick will fall in the 5-7 range. Will the Mavs have someone that they like still on the big board?

There are four players in the upcoming NBA Draft that have been talked about as potential first overall picks. Aside from those four, two or three more players have really risen up the ladder towards guaranteed top 10 picks. After that, there are a few more guys that look good and are likely lottery picks.

Despite this talent level, the draft is definitely a top-heavy draft, with the later picks becoming much more suspect and unconvincing at this point. This means two things: 1) The higher draft picks have an even more likely chance of getting the best talent in the draft, and 2) The price tag for a top pick is higher than most years.

So why would the Dallas Mavericks trade a player that could potentially be a future star? Well for one, it would have to be a pretty gutsy call. And everything would have to work out perfectly.

The first thing that would have to happen is the Mavs would need to acquire a star center of some sort. The DeMarcus Cousins rumors have mentioned the Mavericks for a long time and, with the injury now, could Dallas take that chance? If they do, they need to be fully committed to him as the Boogie we know, not the post-injury Boogie.

The second thing that would need to happen is all the non-center top prospects would need to be taken before it comes to us. If Luka Doncic, Michael Porter Jr., and maybe Mikal Bridges are all off the board by the Mavs pick (highly unlikely), there is definitely reason to consider trading back. That doesn’t mean trade all the way back, but it would give the team an opportunity to pick up more assets.

Here is just one draft scenario that could work out for the Mavericks: The first 5 picks consist of Ayton, Bagley, Doncic, Porter, and Bridges. Dallas is stuck with the decision to either draft someone like Mo Bamba or Jaren Jackson Jr., or look for a trade back to someone who really wants a players like that.

Dallas would have the opportunity to approach a team like the New York Knicks or even the LA Clippers about trading their pick to move up. Either the Clippers or Knicks could move up and get a guard like Collin Sexton or Trae Young.

In return for this trade, Dallas could get the Knicks pick (8-9 range) and a future first as well. Or, they could make a deal with the Clippers for both of their later first round picks (two picks in 12-14 range). This scenario would be interesting for Dallas, who could get a shot at two players like Miles Bridges, Robert Williams, or Dzanan Musa.

This scenario would be interesting for Dallas, who would add one star and two potential role players to a team in sore need of help. It seems like this would be the most helpful for a team like Dallas, as opposed to one player with potential star status.

Next: How Portland's Success Hurts the Dallas Mavericks

Would you do this trade? It is hard to say for sure, but if the Mavs have a bid on a big time free agent, trades should not be off the table.