5 trades for Dallas Mavericks to land perfect big man partner for Luka Doncic

Superstar Luka Doncic is one of the best basketball players in the world, yet the Dallas Mavericks did not make the postseason in 2023. That’s an epic failure.

He just made his fourth-straight All-NBA first team, but he was the only player on the first team who failed to qualify for the Play-In Tournament. Moving forward, the Mavericks simply cannot allow that to happen.

At the trade deadline this year, they made a massive deal for Kyrie Irving, but it wasn’t enough to get them over the hump. And while Irving might be back on the roster next season, it might not be enough.

Having two star guards is great, but mixing things up around Doncic (and maybe Irving) could be worth it. Maybe Doncic needs a better big man to play next to.

5 trades for Dallas Mavericks to land perfect big man partner for Luka Doncic

Throughout the course of his career, the best center Doncic has gotten to play with was technically Kristaps Porzingis. But when he was in Dallas, he primarily played the power forward position.

Outside of KP, the best centers Doncic has played with are DeAndre Jordan (2018-19) and Christian Wood (2022-23). And while both had solid seasons in Dallas, it’s safe to say that Doncic hasn’t gotten the chance to play with a serious threat at the position yet.

Wood is more of a scorer than a pick-and-roll player, and by the time Jordan got to Dallas, he was exiting his All-Star years. The most consistent big Doncic has played with has been Dwight Powell.

Dallas has a chance to get Doncic some serious help at the center position this summer, and here are five trades they could pull off to land that piece.

5. Brandon Clarke

Last season, the Dallas Mavericks played with the third-slowest pace in the league. For the most part, that's just how Luka Doncic rolls, but adding a center who could help them push the pace might be an intriguing idea.

Brandon Clarke is very short for a center, and he may not be the defensive anchor Dallas wants/needs, but he would bring some fantastic tools to Dallas. His fast-paced play, ability to get up for lobs, and underrated rebounding would all be great additions to the rotation.

Running him alongside Maxi Kleber would be an extremely interesting frontcourt duo, and considering Clarks is still only 26 years old (and on a solid contract), he has plenty of time to grow.

Clarke tore his Achilles at the beginning of March and was ruled out for the remainder of the 2022-23 season, so Dallas would have to trade for him knowing that he'll likely be recovering to start next year.

Jake LaRavia is far from a finished product, but he showed flashes of quality play during his rookie season with the Memphis Grizzlies. If the Mavericks can develop the 21-year-old, he could turn into a quality rotation piece.

For the Grizzlies, giving up on Clarke seems like an odd move, but they have plenty of other options at the center spot. Steven Adams is crucial to their success, Xavier Tillman showed out in the playoffs, and both Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama play some big man minutes.

Swapping Clarke for another wing player could make a ton of sense for Memphis, especially because Dillon Brooks won't be back in town (subscription required). Add in the fact that they would receive a first-round pick in the deal, and Memphis may not scoff at this framework.

4. Mitchell Robinson

Mitchell Robinson may not have the star power of some other options, but he would still be an ideal fit alongside Luka Doncic as the big man in the middle for the Dallas Mavericks.

He’s emerging as one of the better rim protectors in the league, but while in New York, he’s never been a big part of the offense, something he’s been very vocal about in the past.

With the Mavericks, Robinson could earn the opportunity to play an elite two-man game with Doncic, which would make him a big part of the offense by default. He’d get to catch plenty of lobs from number 77.

Meanwhile, Obi Toppin would also be a solid addition to the roster. His athletic ability and improved 3-point shooting could earn him a spot in the regular rotation.

For the Knicks, this deal would bank on Isaiah Haertenstein becoming their starting center or Christian Wood stepping into the role. Regardless, they would have a nice one-two punch with a bit more variety, thanks to Wood’s scoring abilities.

Plus, Tom Thibodeau would get a nice addition on the wing in the form of Reggie Bullock, who has had success with the Knicks in the past. All in all, both teams could do a little reshaping with this deal.

3. Jarrett Allen

After their brutal exit from the playoffs this year, the Cleveland Cavaliers may be looking for a change. The Dallas Mavericks should jump at the chance to explore some potential trade opportunities.

Adding Jarrett Allen to the mix alongside Luka Doncic would be fantastic for the Mavericks. His ability to protect the paint and catch lobs would make him the perfect co-star.

Head coach Jason Kidd was hesitant to play Christian Wood all season long because of his defensive deficiencies, but Allen wouldn’t fall under that category. His defensive prowess would seriously improve the Mavericks’ play on that end of the court, which is desperately needed.

Plus, Caris LeVert would make the perfect sixth man in Dallas because of his ability to create for himself. Dallas’ starting lineup could look like Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Josh Green, Maxi Kleber, and Allen with LeVert coming off the pine.

As for the Cavaliers, the big man duo of Allen and Evan Mobley has shown some promise over the past two seasons, but adding a floor-spacing big next to one of them could be useful.

Wood’s ability to shoot combined with Mobley’s defensive play would create a new-look frontcourt in Cleveland. Plus, the Cavaliers would add some much-needed extra depth at the wing position with both Tim Hardaway Jr. and Reggie Bullock.

2. Chris Boucher

Again, this deal isn’t the most flashy, but it would give the Dallas Mavericks a nice shake-up at the five, and Chris Boucher is the perfect fit alongside Luka Doncic.

As previously noted, coach Kidd hesitated to play Christian Wood because of his defensive issues, but Boucher doesn’t have those drawbacks. He’s a quality interior defender with the ability to get out on the perimeter for brief stints.

Since his breakout season with the Toronto Raptors in 2020-21, Boucher has slowly been losing his minutes, so a fresh start on a new team could be what’s best for the 30-year-old.

Meanwhile, Otto Porter Jr. will be coming off a season where he barely played due to an injury. However, if he can come back and be anywhere close to what he was when he was with the Golden State Warriors, that would be a great addition to the Mavericks.

For the Raptors, this deal would be a big change. Ditching two role players in exchange for Wood may seem like an odd move, but with Nick Nurse out of the picture, they’re due for some big changes.

A big man rotation of Pascal Siakam, Jakob Poeltl, and Christian Wood would be interesting, to say the least, and they could even experiment with some lineups that include all three of them.

1. Karl-Anthony Towns

Now, it's important to note that a deal of this caliber is extremely unlikely. The Minnesota Timberwolves would have to be desperate to shake things up (again). But it's not impossible.

For the Dallas Mavericks, this would be a no-brainer. He may not be the defensive anchor they need down low (or anywhere close to it), but pairing Karl-Anthony Towns with Luka Doncic would create an offensive explosion.

Town's floor spacing would be perfectly utilized next to Doncic, as he would get more open looks than he ever has before. Plus, the floor would open up a ton for Doncic, as big men can't leave Towns open on the 3-point line.

The Mavericks would need to make more moves to address their defensive needs, but the chance to trade for Towns is not one they would quickly pass up on.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves would be reeking of desperation with a trade like this. It quickly became clear that the Rudy Gobert trade was a bust, but now, the best way they can salvage assets and turn the team around is to trade Towns.

With this deal, they would create a potential lineup of Kyrie Irving, Anthony Edwards, Kyle Anderson, Jaden McDaniels, and Gobert. As long as Anderson and Gobert can get over their differences, that would be a scary starting unit and a more well-balanced one at that.

It's important to note that Irving may simply not want to play in Minnesota, which would bring this deal to a halt. But hey, maybe he's a big fan of Ant-Man!