Why Dallas Mavericks should be watching OKC Thunder closely during training camp

Will the Dallas Mavericks acquire a young talent from the Thunder?

The probability of the Mavs making a trade before the start of the regular season is high. They need another ball-handler and playmaker. Dallas will round out their roster, and the front office will continue searching for ways to upgrade it through the trade deadline.

Trading with the Thunder is slightly problematic because both teams are over the salary cap. Dallas cannot just take Vit Krejci or Aaron Wiggins in a trade for a heavily protected second-round pick, they would need to send salary out as well. The Mavs could trade Theo Pinson, Frank Ntilikina, or Josh Green, but it does not solve the problem from the Thunder’s side.

The Mavs could try to acquire whoever the Thunder releases on waivers, but rebuilding teams with lower winning percentages than Dallas are likely to place claims and win the bids.

Could the Mavericks make two trades before opening night? Will they acquire that secondary ball-handler before landing a young piece from Oklahoma City? Fans should not expect it, but general manager Nico Harrison will check the temper of any situation.

This roster crunch is not going away for the Thunder. They have eight first-round picks over the next three drafts, so Oklahoma City is going to have to pull off a blockbuster trade for a star player soon to maximize the value of their stockpiled draft capital.

Expect the Dallas Mavericks to make a move before opening night, and stay tuned to see who they can acquire to round out their roster for the 2022-2023 season. What will the Oklahoma City Thunder do will all their young talent? It is one of the many stories to watch league-wide.