Jimmy Butler trade to Mavs may sound great, but a key reason should keep them away

The Mavericks are playing their best basketball of the season over the last few weeks as they defeated the LA Clippers on Saturday night without Luka Doncic, and everything is starting to come together for this team.

They are defending at an elite level, role players are stepping up, and the energy has been high despite having to battle illness and injuries over the last few weeks. Despite all of this, NBA trade season is almost here, and the Mavs have been no stranger to some rumblings recently.

Their first couple of trade rumors flurried in over the last few weeks, with the most notable rumor being Dallas emerging as a potential destination for Jimmy Butler.

It was reported that the Mavs were one of the teams that Butler would like to be traded to earlier this month if the Miami Heat were to move him before the trade deadline, and Dallas fans' minds were racing wild at one point as they wondered how the Mavs could get their hands on Butler.

Mavs shouldn't sacrifice their elite depth to land Butler

While the potential on-court fit is undeniable, as he can defend at an elite level, playmake, and score at will when getting downhill (especially as an off-ball cutter), there is one key thing that should keep the Mavs away.

In order to match Butler's $48.8 million salary, the Mavs would have to send out multiple role players who play big minutes, and losing their elite depth is an accident waiting to happen. Dallas' depth is what has gotten them this far, and trading their depth for another superstar is not the way to build around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. This type of move could destroy everything that they have built over the last year, and you don't take this type of risk when you have proven you're already one of the top contenders in the league.

The chemistry of the squad ever since they traded for Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington has been excellent, and a blockbuster trade like this one could end up making them start over in this department, and that isn't ideal. This isn't to say that the Mavs couldn't adapt, just like they did last year after the trades, but continuity is important.

The new guys are finally starting to settle in, and making a trade for Butler would likely include several of those new guys being sent elsewhere. To make a trade for Butler work, they would likely have to send out three players at the minimum, and that would force them to start over in a way and potentially even have to slightly alter the way they play.

Adding another superstar to this beautiful puzzle that Nico Harrison has built would add complications to Dallas' excellent season thus far, and the reward doesn't seem worth the risk. Butler has been an elite star in this league for years, but the Mavs making a move for him has seemed unlikely ever since the original rumors dropped.

It has already been reported that Dallas hasn't shown real interest in him yet, and Mavs fans can rest assured that it doesn't look like the team is going to trade away all of their depth for Butler.