Mavericks are trapped in a brutal Klay Thompson dilemma that only a trade will fix

With just 13 days remaining before one of the NBA's most important dates of the year, the trade deadline, the Dallas Mavericks need to make trades for expiring contracts and future draft capital. It may not be a move any fan wants to see, but with Klay Thompson playing so well over the last month and some change, the former four-time champion may be looked at as a commodity on the trade market, which could garner some assets the Mavericks need.

For starters, one of the Mavericks' worries for the offseason should be dodging the second apron, and by acquiring expiring contracts in a trade for Thompson, they could easily make that goal while also getting future draft capital.

In today's NBA, the more draft capital a team posses the better. While Thompson has been a huge help on the floor with his floor spacing capabilities, if he can give the Mavs a late first-round or even multiple second-round picks, he could better serve a contending team.

The Mavericks need to trade Klay Thompson before his value drops

Thompson has undoubtedly emerged as one of the Mavericks' most important players this season, and especially over the multi-week hot scoring stretch he has had. Dallas has carved out a four-game winning streak, and a large part of it is due to Thompson's 13.8 points per outing on an immaculate 44.8 percent shooting from behind the 3-point line in January.

This stretch of hot shooting has not only made Thompson an important figure for the Mavericks, but it has also surely gained him some attention on the trade market. Due to Thompson's age and experience, he deserves to play for a contending team, no matter how much he means to this franchise, and while it would be tough to let go of Thompson, his value remains high right now, which means the Mavericks need to capitalize on it.

The reality of Thompson's trade return likely means the Mavericks may only get expiring contracts, but with him playing so well recently, it may give the team a bargaining tool to capture a first-round pick.

Thompson is currently on the second year of a three-year, $50 million contract with the Mavericks, which gives him a nice dollar amount that opposing teams may be interested in exploring. Thompson obviously offers experience and shooting, but assuming he plays in a reserve role, his defense, when he's at his best, can still impact an NBA game.

If the Mavericks can get any first-round talent or even multiple second-round picks in a trade for Thompson, they need to make that happen immediately. The reality of the 35-year-old's situation in the NBA is that he is only getting older, and his trade value is as high as it ever will be while he remains on this three-year deal.

Dallas will have plenty of decisions to make over the next 13 days, and trading Thompson may be one of those decisions the franchise needs to come to terms with to regain needed future flexibility. Luckily for Dallas, with Thompson playing so well, it's hard not to see his value increasing as teams get desperate for more shooting.