Mavericks emerge as 'best fit' for trade target atop every fan's wish list

With trade rumors surrounding Coby White as of late, the Dallas Mavericks were ruled one of the "best fits" for him in a piece by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. NBA insider Marc Stein also recently reported that the Chicago Bulls are more open to trading White (subscription required) this season than they have in the past, and the Mavericks should strike while the iron is hot.

Mavericks fans have wanted the team to trade for White for years, and there's no better time to trade for him than now. Chicago is currently the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, and with White set to enter unrestricted free agency this summer, they could be looking to head in a different direction.

They also just extended Josh Giddey for the next four years, and Ayo Dosunmu is having the best season of his career by a large margin. White may be the odd man out in this crowded Bulls backcourt, and getting traded to somewhere like Dallas would allow him to showcase his skills ahead of free agency over the summer.

Why a Coby White trade makes so much sense for Dallas

The Mavericks would likely ensure that they have at least a hunch that he would re-sign with him over the offseason before trading for him, but he is going to at least want to show off his game to any potential suitors for the final stretch of the season. This offseason will be pivotal for him, and he is already setting himself up to be in a great spot.

White is averaging 21.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 44.2 percent from the field this season in Chicago. He has dealt with calf strains in both calves this season, but when on the floor, he's been excellent. His dominance on the court is what's going to make headlines, but he has been valuable to Chicago off the court as well.

White has emerged as a leader in the Bulls' locker room amid their up-and-down season, and his competitive fire combined with his ability on the court can't be overlooked.

White's three-level scoring, secondary playmaking, and ability as a combo guard would be welcomed in Dallas, and he happens to fit both possible directions that the Mavericks could take to end the 2025-26 season.

If Dallas wants to tank in an effort to rebuild around Flagg, White would be a viable trade target. He's only 25 years old and still has tons of room to expand his game. He would also have the ball in his hands plenty, and he'd be in a great position to emerge as Flagg's future co-star.

This would work best if the team wants to move on from Anthony Davis, as the Bulls have already been a rumored suitor for him. White would become a key piece of the young core alongside Flagg, Max Christie, Dereck Lively II, and Ryan Nembhard, and he'd get to learn from the best behind Kyrie Irving.

Irving is poised to return from his torn ACL at some point over the next few months, and he would definitely be a great mentor for White. He'd be the best guard that White has ever played with, and would help lay the framework for Flagg and White to form the Mavericks' duo of the future.

On the other hand, if the Mavericks want to push for a title, White fits that mold as well. His scoring off the bounce would give Dallas a major boost, and his 3-point shooting would help the Mavs significantly. They clearly need to add more shooting at the trade deadline, and pairing White with Flagg, Davis, Kyrie Irving, and P.J. Washington would give Dallas a dangerous starting unit.

He has the skills to help a contender right now, and if the Mavs think they can go on an end-of-season push, he's their guy.

Vecenie clearly agrees with Mavericks fans that White would be a strong fit in Dallas, and their offense would definitely skyrocket. They have the frontcourt pieces to make a defensive backcourt of Irving and White to work as well, and the Mavs should at least give the Bulls a call to see what it would take to get White to Dallas.