Cavaliers shatter Mavericks' heart for second time in 3 days with daring Ball trade

On Saturday morning, one of the Dallas Mavericks' top trade targets was officially taken off the board by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Chicago Bulls traded Lonzo Ball to the Cavs for Isaac Okoro, an incredibly low asking price that the Mavs should have been all over, crushing the hearts of Mavs fans who wanted Ball to run the show for the first few months of the season while Kyrie Irving is sidelined with his ACL injury.

Despite the annoyance from Mavericks fans that came with Ball being traded to the Cavaliers before Dallas traded for him, that isn't the only time over the last few days that Cleveland has made a move that Dallas should have made. On Thursday night, the Cavaliers drafted Tyrese Proctor with the No. 49 overall pick, ending the dream that he could go undrafted and get picked up by the Mavs.

Proctor was so desirable for the Mavericks due to the fact that he played with Cooper Flagg at Duke last season and Dereck Lively II during his freshman season, and his fit with the Mavs would've been a dream come true. Not only would he have helped make Flagg more comfortable during his rookie year, but his on-court fit was undeniable as well.

Cavs deal double heartbreak to Mavericks with Ball and Proctor moves

Proctor has the shooting, size, defense, and playmaking to play either guard spot, and Mavs fans dreamed of him playing extended minutes while Irving was out and throwing lobs to Flagg in transition. He truly looks ready to contribute as a rotation player in the NBA, and after seeing him fall out of the first round, Mavs fans wanted Nico Harrison to trade into the second round badly.

A move for Proctor would have given the Mavs a young guard to grow alongside Flagg and the rest of their young core, and considering he would be on a cost-controlled contract to begin his NBA career, Dallas could have made some moves along the edges to round out their roster, even after drafting Proctor.

The Cavaliers have now stolen two coveted point guard targets that Mavericks fans have desperately wanted in the last three days, and fans' eyes will be all over Cleveland and their success this season, dreaming of what Dallas' roster would have looked like if they traded for Ball or found a way to trade into the second round for Proctor (or if he ended up going undrafted and the Mavs signed him to a contract in undrafted free agency).

Ball had been a rumored trade target for Dallas for over a month, and after seeing him get moved for Okoro without any draft capital attached, Mavs fans are wondering what it would have taken to get him to Dallas in a trade. A trade of Caleb Martin for Ball straight up would have been an interesting option for the two sides to discuss, especially since Martin's $9.6 million salary for next season would have almost matched up perfectly with the $10 million that Ball is owed next season, and Dallas missed a golden opportunity to shore up their backcourt once again thanks to a move by the Cavaliers.

Ball's defense, passing, IQ, and connectivity would have helped the Mavericks right away, and his versatility would be an excellent tool to utilize in the playoffs.

Mavericks fans now have to live with Cleveland taking two players that the fan base wanted badly, and the anticipation for free agency has already begun. Dallas will certainly look to nab a point guard early into free agency on Monday, and fans can only hope that their potential impact will equal what they could have gotten out of Ball.