Why the Dallas Mavericks must avoid trading Josh Green this offseason

As the offseason gets underway, the Dallas Mavericks have some very important decisions to make. After missing the Play-In Tournament this past season, this summer could have serious implications for Dallas’ future.

Luka Doncic isn’t getting any younger, and while he still has plenty of time to bring home a championship, now is the time for the Mavericks to solidify a championship-caliber core around him.

That will undoubtedly involve exploring the trade market this offseason, which means a lot of players on the roster aren’t safe. Who knows who will be on the Mavericks’ roster next season?

However, no matter what the Mavericks choose to do this summer, they need to avoid trading Josh Green.

Why the Dallas Mavericks must avoid trading Josh Green this offseason

For the first two seasons of his career, Green didn’t play a huge role for the Mavericks, but this past year, he broke out and emerged as one of the most important rotational pieces on the roster.

In 60 appearances, including 21 starts, Green played a career-high 25.7 minutes per contest. He averaged 9.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game on 53.7% shooting from the field and 40.2% shooting from behind the three-point line.

Finally, Green’s three-point shot came around, and although he only attempted 2.8 threes per contest, shooting over 40% was a huge sign of improvement.

But while Green’s three-point shooting makes him all the more valuable, his defense is the main reason Dallas needs to ensure he sticks around moving forward.

Green is the best perimeter defender the Mavericks have on the team. And for a squad that seriously lacks any sort of defensive specialists, having him on the wing is essential.

If the Mavericks’ gameplan is to have Doncic and Kyrie Irving lead them into the future, they will need high-level defenders surrounding them on the perimeter. That’s exactly what Green is.

Not only is he a solid perimeter defender, though, but he can also mix it up down low. At 6-foot-5, he’s capable of getting up for some blocks and switching onto bigger forwards, too.

And on top of all of that, Green is still just 22 years old. That’s the final reason the Mavericks absolutely cannot trade Green.

For a team built around a guy as young as Doncic (24 years old), the Mavericks have a severe lack of young talent. Green is their youngest rotational player by a long shot, and outside of him, Doncic, and Jaden Hardy (who could be a rotation guy next year), all of their every-night rotation guys are 30 and older.

Between his improved three-point stroke, elite defensive potential, and youth, Green should be absolutely untouchable this offseason as the Mavericks explore trade options.