Bleacher Report's senseless mock trade discredits Mavericks' offseason moves

In an effort to find Kyrie Irving's much-discussed hypothetical next team, Bleacher Report cooked up a nine-player, three-draft-pick, three-team trade to ship Irving to a contender and reshape the Dallas Mavericks' roster with the future solely in mind. However… that's only what this trade did. The hypothetical swap didn't consider Dallas' offseason whatsoever, and instead essentially has the Mavericks punting before even seeing what they put together.

The trade, in question, sends Irving and the recently extended Naji Marshall to the Detroit Pistons; P.J. Washington, Taurean Prince, a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick to the Golden State Warriors; and Ron Holland II, Brandin Podziemski, Daniss Jenkins, Moses Moody, Duncan Robinson and a 2028 Pistons first-round pick to the Mavericks.

To explain the trade, Bleacher Report chalked it up to Dallas putting a focus on the future, recouping draft assets, and adding players who closely align with Cooper Flagg's timeline (i.e., Holland II and Podziemski), rather than giving it a go with Irving, Flagg, and Co.

Dallas isn't ready to move on from its core

While a logical idea, it's far too rash. This senseless trade assumes the Mavericks aren't looking to be competitive next season or, realistically, anytime soon. Although Irving is the centerpiece of this mock trade, both Dallas' second- and third-most-played players are also included in the deal — Washington and Marshall.

Of course, Washington has been the subject of trade discussions for quite some time, considering both his questionable fit with Flagg and his redundancy on Dallas' forward-heavy roster. Yet he's still signed through 2030 and, perhaps most notably, is the type of forward president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri has shown he covets.

Moreover, even though Marshall just signed a fresh contract extension, the amount he signed for ($52.2 million over three years) allows him to be traded right away. But while he technically can be traded, that doesn't mean he will. Dallas just showed its admiration for Marshall, and its best player is a huge fan of the 28-year-old wing.

Mavericks are building for the present and the future

And that's ultimately where this mock trade falls apart. The Mavericks didn't spend the offseason assembling a roster solely around Flagg's future. They have made moves to compete now, and Irving's eventual return is a major part of that.

For instance, Dallas reinvested in its immediate and long-term future by adding a fresh head coach and team president duo in Dusty May and Ujiri. Additionally, the Mavericks' roster overhaul included loading up on size and length while filling roster gaps with much-needed shooting.

It's fair to ask why the Mavericks would insist upon largely keeping the core of a 26-win team and instead prioritize minor improvements. But this isn't just any 26-win team. Dallas' 19-year-old rookie phenom, Flagg, just won Rookie of the Year, center Dereck Lively II is returning after appearing in only seven games a season ago, and nine-time All-Star Irving will be back in action, fully healed from a torn ACL.

This offseason wasn't necessarily raucous — Dallas didn't make a splash trade like the Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves or Philadelphia 76ers — but it's clearly banking on internal improvements compounded by a reshaped roster. One that was carefully constructed to fill the gaps from a season ago.

In the end, that's why this mock trade makes little sense for the Mavericks. Dallas spent the offseason addressing the roster's biggest weaknesses and positioning itself to see what Flagg and a healthy Irving can do together. Blowing that up before the revamped roster even takes the floor would discredit nearly everything the Mavericks did this offseason.

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