7 Former, 2 current Dallas Mavericks players listed as 'top NBA trade candidates'

7. Davis Bertans

Dubbed the "Latvian Lazer" by Dallas Mavericks lead broadcast play-by-play announcer Mark Folowill, Davis Bertans stood true to his nickname throughout his two seasons in Dallas. Bertans has always been an elite 3-point shooter, but doubts over him being a defensive liability proved to be true in Dallas just as it has at all of his other previous stops.

Bertans was shipped to Dallas during the trade deadline in 2022 and surprisingly proved to be an integral part of the Mavericks' playoff success during their run to the Western Conference Finals. Bertans' ability to shoot coming off of double-wide pin-down screens whilst running full speed gave the Mavericks an element to their offense that not many teams had, as Bertans finished the 2022 NBA Playoffs shooting 37.3 percent from distance.

As aforementioned though, it was only a matter of time before Bertans' extensive injury history caught up to him, as he missed two separate significant junctures of the Mavericks' season last year with knee and calf injuries. Bertans only played situationally when he was available last season, as he averaged 10.9 minutes per game in only 45 contests.

Bertans may have a role in the NBA going forward, but he can't be half as proficient of a cutter and movement shooter as he was during his prime in San Antonio if he wishes to stick in the league going forward. Bertans is a complete albatross on defense even if he gives good effort, so it's not surprising that he's listed as a prime trade candidate for the Oklahoma City Thunder to trade by Scotto.

Dallas needed to get off Bertans' $17 million he was due for in the 2023-24 season, and they were luckily able to do so by trading back in the draft whilst still being able to select Dereck Lively II with the 12th pick. Hopefully, Bertans can stick in the NBA somewhere, but don't expect for Dallas to be a player for him given his current contract.