Grade the Trade: Mavs shockingly net Draymond Green in wild proposal with Warriors

The Dallas Mavericks are in dangerous territory to start 2025, as they have gone 4-8 in January so far, and the brutal injury bug won't stop buzzing around their heads.

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have both missed significant time with injuries and while Irving returned from his back injury earlier this month, Doncic remains sidelined with his calf strain. He is expected to be re-evaluated within the next week, and his goal is to return before the NBA All-Star break.

While Doncic is trending in the right direction, the same can't be said about his dynamic pick-and-roll partner. Dereck Lively II is set to be out for at least the next month with a right ankle stress fracture, and the injuries keep on rolling in.

Grading a blockbuster proposal that sends Draymond Green to Dallas

These injuries are keeping them from having good momentum heading into the trade deadline, and despite all of the injuries, Nico Harrison and company aren't panicking. They aren't going to make a move to fix their injury problem, but that doesn't change the fact that they are searching for more perimeter defense and frontcourt depth.

They were reported as one of the more active teams on the phones earlier this month, and considering Harrison's recent history at the trade deadline, it would be a shock if he didn't make some sort of move to bolster the roster ahead of the playoff push.

In a recently proposed trade by Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports, he created a way for the Mavericks to land Draymond Green from the Golden State Warriors, but it would come at a hefty price.

Mavericks fans have long speculated about Green becoming a Maverick, and this deal would hypothetically get it done.

This is an extremely steep price for the Mavericks to land the former Defensive Player of the Year, and it would require them giving up their current starting center in Daniel Gafford, their only currently healthy backup center in Maxi Kleber, two second-round picks, and both of their tradable first-round picks.

The Mavericks' roster would look significantly different if they were to pull off this move, and the Warriors' era with Green and Stephen Curry leading the way would finally be over after four championships and hundreds of games together.

Grading the trade for the Golden State Warriors

This trade would mark a new era for the Warriors, and that's exactly what they need at this point. Golden State is 22-22 and the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference, and they have cooled off significantly since their scorching hot start.

They could be stuck in mediocrity if they don't make a game-changing move such as this one, and while Green would hurt, now may be the time to do it. He's dealt with some injuries over the last couple of years, and while he still remains impactful and extremely important to the Warriors' game on both ends of the floor, change may be good.

Dealing Green would allow them to start over while acquiring two rotation pieces in Gafford and Kleber along with two first-round picks. The 2025 first-round pick is already one of Dallas' most valuable assets considering how they're playing right now, and with Gafford off the roster and Dereck Lively II still suffering from injury, the Mavericks' first-round pick would be extremely favorable.

Gafford and Trayce Jackson-Davis would perform a dynamic center rotation while Kleber gives them a stretch four or five who can defend multiple positions. The Warriors have been in need of a stretch big for some time now, and this move would be great for them to begin a new era (if they were to make other moves as well).

Potential starting lineup: Stephen Curry, Dennis Schroder, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga (once he's healthy), Daniel Gafford

Golden State landing two first-round picks, both of which could be extremely favorable (2025 and 2031), and two bigs who would play significant minutes would be a major win in a deal for Green, and they'd have much more flexibility to go make a bigger move if that was their goal.

Grading the trade for the Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks need frontcourt depth, and that's exactly what they'd get in this trade, but the package they would hypothetically give up to land Green is far too much. He would give their offense an entirely new wrinkle with Green's ability to playmake, but without Gafford, the Mavs' center depth would be significantly depleted. If they didn't acquire another center in a different deal, their center rotation for the rest of the season would be Lively II and Dwight Powell, and considering Lively II is out for the foreseeable future, Powell would become the starter.

This season for the Warriors, Green is averaging 8.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 41.5 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from downtown. His fit next to Doncic and Irving would be intriguing and he would become the team's best defender right away.

Green would give Dallas the ability to play a five-out offense, and if the Mavericks could get healthy before the playoffs, they'd be in a great spot to make a real push. He has tons of experience in making NBA Finals runs, and he'd give this Mavericks roster a new vibe.

While Gafford and Kleber isn't a wild asking price for Green, the over-the-top draft capital is what could turn this trade into a disaster. The Mavs would be giving up their only two tradable first-round picks (2025 and 2031), and if this season or the 2030-31 season happens to be a disaster for Dallas, the Warriors are going to be in prime position to be patting themselves on the back for betting on the future with both of these picks in their back pocket. They could also use these picks in a different trade, and that 2031 pick could be extremely valuable considering Doncic's current contract situation and the slim possibility he could Dallas leave one day.

This trade would be the definition of the Mavericks going all in, and despite Green's intriguing fit, giving up two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and two rotation players for him is not ideal. He has a player option after next season for around $27.7 million, and if he were to opt-out, the Mavericks would've given up their future for a year and a half of Green.

It could be worth it if the Mavs were able to win the NBA Finals this season or next season, but the risk seems more likely than the reward.

Potential starting lineup: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington, Draymond Green, Dereck Lively II