Latest rumor boosts Mavericks' chances of landing defensive ace in perfect trade

Halfway through the NBA season, the Dallas Mavericks' season can be summed up by injuries and illness to just about every player on their roster. As a result, the team's strong start has been erased due to a major injury to superstar Luka Doncic.

Despite the team's slow start to 2025, the Mavericks have the perfect opportunity to upgrade their roster with the trade deadline looming. With just a few weeks left before the trade deadline, the Mavericks have been one of the hottest teams on the market after surprisingly making Daniel Gafford available in trades.

With Gafford available on the market (for the right price in a deal for a high-level forward), this could leave a massive hole on the Mavericks roster with Dereck Lively II struggling to stay healthy for large portions of the regular season. While Gafford's defensive struggles have been an alarming sight at times, they still don't take away from the team's biggest need.

Since the beginning of the season, the Mavericks have needed a backup power forward and they could have their perfect match for a low cost.

Patrick Williams could be Dallas' defensive answer off the bench

It's no secret, the Mavericks have sorely needed a forward presence off the bench since the beginning of the year. With an aging Maxi Kleber, the team's ceiling can only go so high if the Mavericks wish to return to the NBA Finals.

While many names have emerged at the top of fan lists, Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams was recently just made available for trade, and he could be the perfect answer to Dallas' forward needs.

According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, 23-year-old Williams was just made available (subscription required) for a potential trade for the right price. The former Florida State Seminole has been a defensive stud since being drafted in the 2020-21 season.

Williams has consistently been one of Chicago's best defenders and with his 6-foot-7 frame, it's no wonder why Williams has all the tools in the bag to be one of the league's most feared perimeter defenders. Williams has constantly been one of the Bulls' best perimeter defenders when healthy, which is why he signed a five-year $90 million extension last summer.

With this dollar figure in mind, it could cause many teams to think twice about adding Williams to their roster given his lengthy injury history. In five seasons with the Bulls, Williams has had two seasons cut short due to major injuries; However, in the 2022-23 season, Williams played all 82 games for Chicago.

With Williams' lengthy injury past and recent summer extension, it could make for an awkward dollar figure for the Mavericks to match in a trade. Despite this, the Mavericks should do everything in their power to acquire Williams and finally get rid of the team's biggest need.

In addition to Williams' strong defense, he has been a knockdown perimeter shooter in his five seasons as a pro. This season's 36.2 percent shooting from behind the arc has marked a career-worst from deep and this would be considered average for most players.

Williams' perimeter defense and knockdown 3-point shot could make for a lethal addition to Dallas' bench if they wanted to give the defensive ace a chance at competing for a championship.