Mavericks' trade deadline focus becomes abundantly clear after latest rumors

On Christmas Day, chaos struck the American Airlines Center when Dallas Mavericks fans watched Luka Doncic suffer a non-contact calf strain in the second quarter. Doncic was due for a monster performance, as he was dominating early on in this game, but this calf strain forced him to hobble back to the locker room and miss the rest of the game.

This time of the year is always filled with the unexpected for NBA fans, as teams around the league either start climbing in the standings or falling, and this is also the time of year that trade rumors start to funnel in.

Trade rumors about the Mavs have had a fairly slow start, but there has been some intel that is worth discussing when it comes to how Nico Harrison plans on rounding out this roster ahead of the February 6 trade deadline.

Despite not being interested in him, Dallas is one of the spots that Jimmy Butler would like to be traded to if the Miami Heat decide to move him. There have also been rumblings that the Mavs will look to move Maxi Kleber over the next few months as his contract will expire after next season, and Dallas' focus on what they are looking to add to this team just became obvious.

Mavericks are looking for a trade to strengthen their frontcourt

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Mavericks are "known to be exploring their options for potential frontcourt upgrades" (subscription required) ahead of the trade deadline, and this is exactly what Mavs fans expected. Their need for a better backup four becomes more clear by the game, and although Stein didn't implicitly state that Dallas is looking for another power forward, it can definitely be assumed considering how their roster is constructed combined with the other trade rumors that have involved the Mavs over the last few weeks.

It has already been reported that the Mavs have gotten trade offers for both Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, but they have refused to entertain the idea of moving either one of them. Their need for another wing or big-boded forward is much more pressing than a third-string center, and this seems like the most likely area that the Mavs will look to upgrade this season.

It's known that the Mavs won't look to trade for Kyle Kuzma this season after him not wanting to come to Dallas in a trade last season, but there are plenty of other good options of different forwards that they could make a move for.

Some players who have been in trade rumors this season while also being linked to the Mavs in the past include Dorian Finney-Smith, Isaiah Stewart, and Bobby Portis, and any of these three players would give a huge boost to Dallas' bench. Mavs fans have also been rather fond of Obi Toppin when it comes to potential trade targets, and he would be a major upgrade over Kleber while providing the Mavs with some more athleticism and shooting off the bench.

This season is majorly different from the last three seasons for the Mavs when it comes to needing blockbuster trades at the trade deadline, as they only need to make a smaller move this season. Dallas has already proved that they are one of the top contenders in the NBA, and strengthening their bench's frontcourt could be the exact move they need to guarantee a Western Conference Finals return.