Mavericks' quiet offseason hides an obvious trade answer that's brewing

NBA free agency started yesterday, but the Dallas Mavericks haven't made a single move. This is typically the busiest time of the offseason for many teams, but the Mavericks have stood pat. The silence in Dallas is making Mavericks fans wonder what Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz are thinking as they look for ways to retool the roster around Cooper Flagg, but a trade seems like it's on the way soon.

It looks like the Mavericks are sleeping on the surface, but that's not entirely the case. A move is brewing in the shadows, and it may already be a handshake deal that can't be agreed upon until next week.

The Mavericks' trade for Marcus Sasser has to wait a few days

The Mavs are the frontrunners to trade for Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser, and according to NBA insider Marc Stein, this move is "expected" at this point. Despite the expectation that Detroit and Dallas will come to terms on a deal that brings the Dallas native back home ahead of his fourth season in the NBA, Stein also reported that this deal has to wait until July 6.

Mavericks fans have to wait until next Monday, July 6, for the Sasser trade to become official, but at least there's some confidence that a deal will get done. It seems inevitable at this point, with the way Stein has reported on it.

Any movement is intriguing this time of year, and a move for Sasser is a sneaky, low-risk, high-reward trade that MFFLs should be excited about.

Sasser would help fix Dallas' biggest weakness

Standing at 6-foot-1 with a 6-foot-7 wingspan, Sasser is a combo guard who can fill up the stat sheet in a hurry. The former Houston Cougar isn't known for his playmaking or passing, but what he is known for happens to be a major weakness for Dallas: shooting.

The Mavericks were 26th in the NBA in 3-point percentage last season at 34.4 percent, and this number has to rise drastically next season. Dallas' entire offense suffered due to the lack of floor spacing and volume shooting that was around Flagg, and someone like Sasser would help fix this issue.

When Sasser is on the court, he's not afraid to let it fly. He averaged 8.4 3-point attempts per 36 minutes last season for the Pistons, and he shot 41.5 percent from three. For comparison, Mavericks guard Max Christie shot 7.2 threes per 36 minutes last season, and he's widely considered a volume shooter.

He's more than a shooter

Marcus Sasser packs a punch when he's on the floor, and his offensive attack consists of much more than lethal 3-point shooting. He is an excellent self creator, and he excels at scoring off the bounce from anywhere inside the arc. His pull-up mid-range jumper is pretty, he has soft touch on floaters, and is a good finisher inside despite being undersized.

Sasser's scoring attack is versatile and smooth, and Dallas will be getting a strong offensive player once this trade likely goes through.

He also competes on the defensive end at the point of attack, and his four years under Kelvin Sampson at Houston are a testament to this. Sampson's players are typically strong defenders with high motors, excellent effort, and great character, and while Sasser isn't versatile on this end, he at least brings good effort and is active.

Sasser makes too much sense to overlook

The best part about a potential move for Sasser is that the Mavs likely won't have to give up anything to bring him in. They have traded player exceptions to utilize thanks to the Anthony Davis trade with the Washington Wizards last season, and the Pistons may even throw Dallas some draft capital to absorb Sasser's contract. The Mavericks would be proving Detroit some financial flexibility for a player who was hardly in their rotation, and draft compensation makes sense at the very least.

Dallas is the perfect spot for the 25-year-old guard to spread his wings and step into a real role, and while a trade for him won't be making massive headlines, it could reap massive rewards. There were signs that Sasser would thrive if given a bigger role, and if Dusty May gives him this on the Mavericks, he could quickly become a key piece of their core in the final year of his contract.

While fans want this move to be official as soon as possible, good things must wait.

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