Mavericks' biggest trade need is becoming impossible to ignore

The Dallas Mavericks dropped to 7-5 after a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night, and this game further exposed why the team needs to trade for a third scorer to complement Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving. Dallas' star duo combined for 22 points after erupting for 78 points in the game prior, and their need for a third shot creator was impossible to ignore.

The Timberwolves sold out on slowing down Kyrie and Cooper, and their plan worked. The rest of Dallas' starting lineup combined to score just 20 points, and the team shot 27 percent from three on 48 attempts. Minnesota forced the Mavericks' role players to beat them, and the supporting cast failed to step up.

Dallas' supporting cast is limited

Zaccharie Risacher was one of the only bright spots in this game for Dallas, as he scored 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting to go along with six rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block, but 15 of these points came in the second half when the game was already out of reach. This game came after he scored 21 points in the previous five games combined, further underlining that his impact as a scorer has been underwhelming.

The Mavs have had five other players outside of Risacher, Flagg, and Irving have 20-point games: Sergio De Larrea, Walter Clayton Jr., Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, and Naji Marshall, but these performances haven't been consistent enough. The only player in this bunch who has had multiple 20-point games is Washington, but he has also had two games in which he scored six or less points.

The fact that Dallas has had eight players score 20 points in a game is promising, but none of them are consistently providing that type of production. The Mavs need a trusted option, not potential.

They don't have anyone who can consistently inject life into the offense when Kai and Coop are struggling or on the bench, making the need for a trade even more glaring. They have a few players injured, as Sergio De Larrea has only played four games while Dereck Lively II and Tarik Biberovic haven't played yet, but none of these players have the makeup to be Dusty May's reliable third piece.

The Mavericks' roster needs a consistent third option

They need to sacrifice some of their wing depth or center depth to bring in someone who can take pressure off Flagg and Irving's shoulders, and acquiring a third piece could raise the team's ceiling considerably. Third options become increasingly important as the season goes on, and if the Mavericks want to be a force in the playoffs, they must better balance the roster.

A dynamic offensive shooting guard or a score-first wing would help give Dallas the punch they need, and while the Mavericks shouldn't overreact to just one game, this need could become even more crucial down the line.

Elite defenses find ways to limit stars, and if the Mavs don't bring in someone who can make opponents pay for that, they'll continue to struggle in these situations.

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