Inevitable Mavericks trade reality is their biggest roadblock for Finals return

With the trade deadline being just five days away, news within the NBA world has been quiet.

Too quiet.

There have only been a handful of trades go down so far, and none of the big names who have been in trade rumors, such as De'Aaron Fox or Jimmy Butler, have been moved yet. Things are poised to get crazier over the next few days though, and the Dallas Mavericks are a team that could look to reload their roster before the playoff push.

It's known that Dallas is searching for perimeter defense and frontcourt depth on the trade market, and they've even been linked to Herbert Jones of the New Orleans Pelicans. The Mavericks were reported as one of the most active teams when it comes to calling around looking for upgrades, but this season may not look like the past three years when it comes to the magnitude of moves they make.

Mavs' lack of trade assets could prevent them from making pivotal move

Despite being interested in adding a defensive ace at the trade deadline, Dallas' lack of assets could hold them back when it comes to the type of moves they can make. They only have two tradable first-round picks and a few second-round picks, and their player assets are limited as well.

While Dallas' roster is one of the deepest rosters we've ever seen in franchise history, their assets are limited when it comes to players that it makes sense for them to trade as well. While Daniel Gafford was rumored to be a player that Dallas would be willing to deal in a trade for an elite perimeter defender, he looks immovable now considering that Dereck Lively II, Dwight Powell, and Maxi Kleber are all injured and out of the lineup.

Quentin Grimes was also someone who would be valued highly around the league due to his expiring contract and potential, but moving him would also be a major risk considering how great he has been off the bench. Grimes has made some big plays in the clutch recently on defense, and losing him would create another hole.

It was reported earlier in the season that Dallas would shop Kleber ahead of the deadline as well, but his fractured foot could throw a major wrench into their plans as he had surgery earlier this week and could be in jeopardy of missing the rest of the season. He has one of the most tradeable contracts on the team as he is making $11 million annually, and it expires next summer, but any positive value that he has built up this season could have been wiped away due to his nonstop injuries.

They don't have the necessary ammo to go grab a star defender like Jones, and them not being able to make a move like this could be what holds them back from making the NBA Finals for the second year in a row. This isn't to say that Dallas can't make a deep playoff run and have a shot at making the Finals, as they have proven to be one of the best teams in the NBA when fully healthy, but fans' expectations about what they can do at the trade deadline should be tempered.

Unless Dallas goes all in when it comes to trading their first-round draft capital or one of their top young talents or role players, don't expect them to make a big move. They could end up standing pat and rolling with the roster they have heading into the final stretch of the season or make a smaller trade to upgrade around the margins, and getting healthy for the playoffs should be the team's biggest priority rather than some franchise-altering move.