5 Offseason trades that make the Dallas Mavericks title contenders

This upcoming offseason is one of the most important in recent memories for the Dallas Mavericks, as they face the task of putting a championship-caliber team around Luka Doncic.

Obviously, that all starts with whether or not they choose to bring Kyrie Irving back to town, but even if they don’t want to re-sign him, they still need to find a way to help Doncic.

Just one season ago, the Mavericks, led by Doncic and Jalen Brunson, made a miracle run to the Western Conference Finals. Yet this year, they failed to even qualify for the Play-In Tournament.

Injuries certainly played a part in that failure, but as a whole, the team around Doncic simply wasn’t good enough. The defense slipped, the surrounding pieces struggled at times, and the trade for Irving didn’t quite pan out in the short term.

5 offseason trades that make the Mavericks title contenders

Free agency will be a huge part of the Mavericks’ offseason plans this summer, but it likely won’t be enough to build a title contender.

In turn, they should look toward the trade market.

First and foremost, trading for a third star would help take the pressure off of both Doncic and Irving. But that idea is predicated on whether or not a star player becomes available.

Instead of banking on that, Dallas should focus their efforts on improving their defense and trading for high-level role players that can support its two stars.

And even if they decide to let Irving walk, they should look to explore sign-and-trade deals with him in an attempt to get some sort of value back in return.

With all that in mind, here are five trades for the Mavericks to consider that would help make them title contenders.

5. Pascal Siakam

Adding a star big man would be a huge win for the Dallas Mavericks, and in the case of Pascal Siakam, they would be getting the perfect mix of versatility and scoring.

Siakam can play the four as well as the small-ball five, which would give Jason Kidd and the Mavericks plenty of flexibility. Plus, his ball-handling skills at the big man position would take plenty of pressure off of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

He's a plus on defense, he can guard bigs, wings, and forwards, and he’d be another 20-point scorer for the Mavericks to add to the lineup—and one who’s not a defensive liability.

Giving up two first-round picks for Siakam would certainly be a risk, as they could choose to save them for a bigger star if one were to become available, but the Mavericks can’t afford to wait much longer to help Doncic compete.

Meanwhile, for the Toronto Raptors, this deal would see them shift into a rebuild. The only way Siakam becomes available is if they decide to completely blow things up.

The two first-round picks would be a nice start if they attempted to stockpile draft assets, as would the protected first. Plus, if Doncic gets fed up with the Mavericks at some point, they could be very valuable.

And on top of that, they would add Jaden Hardy to the roster, who has shown blips of star power during his time in Dallas thus far.

4. DeMar DeRozan

Adding DeMar DeRozan into the mix may not be a perfect fit, but it would give the Dallas Mavericks some extra star power and another scoring option to help take the load off of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

DeRozan’s ability to score in the mid-range would help make defenses think twice, and defenders wouldn’t be able to lurk off of Doncic and Irving, as leaving DeRozan open would be a huge mistake.

Defensively, this doesn’t help the Mavericks improve a ton, but DeRozan isn’t a negative defender, either. If anything, he’s a better defender than Tim Hardaway Jr. and Davis Bertans.

In addition, this deal would help the Mavericks get off of Hardaway Jr.’s and Bertans’ contracts one year earlier. That’s part of the reason they’d pay a first-round pick.

For the Chicago Bulls, this deal would signal a much-needed rebuild. Lonzo Ball’s injury has affected things, but regardless, it’s clear that their current core isn’t capable of competing for a championship.

Neither Hardaway Jr. nor Bertans would be a long-term piece for them, but at the very least, the former could net them an extra first or second at some point in the future. That being said, Jaden Hardy would be a nice young player to take a chance on.

Plus, they would be banking on the potential idea that the Mavericks’ current core doesn’t last long, meaning their first would become more valuable.

3. Kyle Lowry package

This trade is a bit of an odd one, and some Dallas Mavericks fans might turn their head away at the idea. But in the long run, it could actually make some sense—while also helping them win immediately.

First and foremost, while Kyle Lowry didn’t have a great regular season, he’s been showing out in the playoffs. If he can bring a little of that to the regular season next year and then turn up in the postseason again, he’d be a nice piece in Dallas.

Plus, he’s an underrated defender at the guard position. His scrappiness and willingness to put his body on the line make him a nuisance on that end of the court.

As for Max Strus, he’s shown signs of being an elite role player with the Miami Heat. If Dallas could sign him to a three-to-four-year deal for roughly $12-$15 million, it could be a solid value.

That’s all without mentioning the fact that Miami’s 2027 first-rounder could be valuable if Jimmy Butler and Kyrie Irving are retired by then.

And if Irving wants to leave, this deal could help keep the Mavericks relevant while adding a bit of extra depth.

For the Heat, this deal would add another star to the mix and create a core of Butler, Irving, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro. Plus, this would allow them to re-sign Gabe Vincent instead of Strus and bank on Duncan Robinson getting back to normal and taking over the sharpshooter role from Strus.

2. Gordon Hayward package

A lot of this trade depends on what direction the Charlotte Hornets choose to go in next year. But if they decide to inch toward a mini rebuild or retool, then this could make sense.

For the Dallas Mavericks, a deal like this one would see them land a decent third star in Gordon Hayward, who, admittedly, has dealt with plenty of injury issues. But when healthy, he can provide ball-handling, roughly 15-18 points per game, and a decent presence on the defensive end.

Cody Martin and Nick Richards would be two solid pick-ups, too. Martin is a defensive menace whose 3-point shot has improved, and Richards, who the Hornets just extended, would give the Mavericks an improved interior presence.

As for the Hornets, this trade would see them acquire more future assets while also getting off of Hayward’s contract in favor of two deals about half its size.

Tim Hardaway Jr. could still help the team compete for a Play-In spot if that’s the direction they wanted to go in, but the two first-rounders would be the biggest assets in the deal for Charlotte.

Trading Richards may seem a bit backward because the Hornets just extended him, but it would open up more minutes for Mark Williams and/or Kai Jones.

1. John Collins package

This would be a great way to round out the Dallas Mavericks’ roster while also giving them a better presence on the defensive end of the court.

Obviously, John Collins would be the highlight of this deal. His rebounding and floor-spacing, both vertically and at the 3-point line, would fit in well next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

However, Clint Capela would also be a nice pick-up for the Mavericks. His defensive presence and ability to rebound would be huge for Dallas.

Perhaps more importantly, the Mavericks would add an elite pick-and-roll player alongside Doncic and Irving. Capela might be the best pick-and-roll partner Doncic has played with in the NBA.

For the Atlanta Hawks, this would be an interesting way to restructure the roster. Instead of having a big man in the middle who is paint-focused, they would adopt a five-out offense with Christian Wood.

He would still be able to play the pick-and-roll with Trae Young, but his ability to shoot the ball would give Young and the Hawks more options on the offensive end.

As for Tim Hardaway Jr., he would give the team yet another scorer and wing player off the bench. They would roll out smaller lineups with De’Andre Hunter or Jalen Johnson at the five or a lineup with Wood at the four and Onyeka Okongwu at the five.

Plus, nabbing two firsts would help the Hawks have a bit more flexibility moving forward, as they gave up almost all their picks in the deal for Dejounte Murray.