Dallas Mavericks: Did they walk away happy following trade deadline

The Dallas Mavericks were active and aggressive in talks leading up to the trade deadline. Fans saw the flurry of trade rumors in the days leading up to the deadline, but the Mavs only made one deal. They added shooting by acquiring J.J. Redick and Nicolo Melli from New Orleans for James Johnson, Wesley Iwundu, and a 2021 second-round pick. Were they happy with the proceedings?

The Mavs like their roster and they have performed well when healthy. Dallas has won 12 of the 16 games with their preferred starting lineup this season. That is a 61-win pace over a normal 82-slate, which would be the second-highest regular-season win total in franchise history. They did see the need to make a massive move, but the Mavericks wanted to upgrade on their margins.

They were happy to add J.J. Redick, but did deadline day go as planned? Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report did a fantastic article about the near-misses from the trade deadline. It featured plenty on the Mavericks. Let us take a closer look before deciding if the Mavs brass went to bed happy on March 25.

Did the Dallas Mavericks walk away happy following the trade deadline?

Fischer reports the Mavs offered two second-round picks and James Johnson for Evan Fournier. The Magic ended up accepting a similar trade with Boston, but in that deal, Orlando created a more than $17 million trade exception. The 28-year-old averaged 19.7 points per game before heading to the Celtics. The Mavericks would have loved to have won the bidding for Fournier.

Fischer also noted Dallas had talks with Houston on acquiring Victor Oladipo, but it did not gain much traction. The Rockets traded him to the Heat for Avery Bradley, Kelly Olynyk, and the rights to swap picks in 2022. It was surprising Dallas did not get further into the bidding. Oladipo’s perimeter defense, playmaking, and scoring chops would have fit nicely in Dallas. The 28-year-old has struggled to stay healthy over the last three seasons. Perhaps, that chased the Mavs away.

The Dallas Mavericks were happy to improve their shooting and floor spacing with the addition of J.J. Redick. They have to wait for him to get healthy. Nicolo Melli also looked surprisingly good in his Mavs debut. Dallas would have loved to make a larger move, though.

The Mavs did not have the assets to trade for a third star. They need to be in on Evan Fournier, Victor Oladipo, and others at a lesser cost. Dallas did not win the bidding. Fans should be excited to see what J.J. Redick can add to the squad. Regardless, no team is looking forward to facing the Mavericks in the playoffs.

Dallas will have cap space this summer to continue building its roster. Luka Doncic gives them a chance to win any game, but the Mavs would love to jump into title contention next season. What moves will they make? How can Dallas improve their roster? Be sure to tune in and find out what the Mavericks do to build a title contender around Doncic.