Grade the Trade: Mavericks acquire dynamic scorer in rumored deal

The Dallas Mavericks are in the most important offseason in recent memory as they will try to bounce back after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Dallas went from reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2022 to being a draft lottery team in 2023.

They have to make the right moves to make Luka Doncic happy and build a core around him that will contend for years to come. This won't be easy to attain in just one summer, but a step in the right direction is crucial for Dallas.

The Mavs tanked their final two games last season to have better odds to retain their top-10 protected pick, and it worked. The NBA fined Mark Cuban $750 thousand for tanking their final game of the season, but it was worth it.

Grade the Trade: Mavericks acquire dynamic scorer in rumored deal

Dallas holds the 10th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and must make the right move. Whether that's trading out of the first round entirely, trading back, or drafting a player at 10. They can't afford to miss on this pick. There have been rumors that Dallas is probably going to trade their pick, but nothing will be set in stone until June 22.

A recent move proposed by Jonathan Givony of ESPN (subscription required) has Dallas sending off the 10th overall pick along with a player in exchange for a score-first forward from the Detroit Pistons.

Let's breakdown this trade for both sides and see if this trade is worth it for Dallas and Detroit.

Dallas lands Bojan Bogdanovic

The proposed trade sends Tim Hardaway Jr. and the 10th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic. This allows Dallas to land a score-first wing that is an exceptional shooter but comes at the cost of the 10th overall pick and Hardaway Jr.

Bogdanovic is entering his 10th NBA season and signed a two-year contract extension worth $39.1 million with Detroit at the beginning of last season. He averaged 21.6 points and 2.6 assists per game last season, setting career highs for both season averages. He is also an exceptional three-point shooter and shot 41.1 percent from downtown last season.

On the other hand, Dallas ships off Hardaway Jr. and the 10th overall pick. Hardaway Jr. has been with Dallas since 2019 as he was included in the Kristaps Porzingis trade. He provides shooting and is a floor spacer for Dallas, but doesn't provide much defense. He averaged 14.4 points per game and shot 38.5 percent from three last season.

Dallas also ships off the 10th overall pick in this deal, leaving them with no way to add a first-round talent in the NBA Draft.

This is an awfully big haul for Detroit as they are in no position to win now as they would hold the fifth and 10th overall picks.

Here's a look at grades for both teams after making the trade.

Grading the trade for the Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons and their fans would be ecstatic if they could fleece the Mavericks and make this trade.

They already have a young franchise cornerstone in Cade Cunningham and have young supporting pieces in Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Killian Hayes, James Wiseman, and Marvin Bagley III. This team is young, and they get even younger after making this trade.

It also allows Detroit to shed an aging wing. Yes, Bojan Bogdanovic is a fabulous player, and Detroit just signed him to an extension last October, but they don't need him. They're in a rebuild and aren't in the position to make deep playoff pushes.

Now that Detroit holds the fifth and 10th overall picks, they can add two players with star potential to add to their young core. Picks 4-10 are uncertain this year as unexpected players are climbing draft boards, and a player like Taylor Hendricks could fall to Detroit at 10. They could also take a player like Cam Whitmore or one of the Thompson twins with the fifth pick.

Detroit also lands Hardaway Jr. in this trade. He is not as good as Bogdanovic but would provide veteran leadership and court spacing for Cunningham and Ivey. Hardaway Jr. is only under contract for two more seasons, and one of Detroit's young players would hopefully be developed by then to take his spot in the lineup.

This trade is a no-brainer for Detroit.

Potential starting lineup: Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, fifth overall pick, Marvin Bagley III, Jalen Duren

They could even put James Wiseman, the 10th overall pick, or Isaiah Stewart into this lineup. Hardaway Jr. is also a proven starter if they need him to step into that role.

Grading the trade for the Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks can't afford to make this trade. They need young talent, wings that can defend, and a new big.

This trade gives them none of those things.

Dallas adding Bogdanovic would add a great shooter next to Luka Doncic, but he is not the best defender. He is too slow to keep up with quicker players and would get exposed on the wing. Starting him alongside Doncic and Kyrie Irving, two players that aren't the best defenders, would be a disaster for the Mavs.

They also lose the 10th overall pick in this deal. Dallas would be trading a chance to add a young player to their core in exchange for a 34-year-old aging wing. At the end of his contract, he would be 36 years old, and we could see a decline in his game as his contract expires.

The 10th overall pick and Tim Hardaway Jr. have more value than this. Hardaway Jr.'s contract may not be the best, but it declines after next season, and he'll only be making around $16.2 million.

Dallas shouldn't want to get older while trading out of the first round. They should search for a deal that adds a proven veteran while gaining a first-round pick in this year's draft.

Dallas acquires a good piece to win now, as Bogdanovic is an excellent player, but they can't disregard their need of adding young talent.

If they make this trade, their offense will improve while taking another step back defensively. It would be two trades in a row that Dallas gives up defense for offense as they did that when trading for Irving.

Potential starting lineup: Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, Reggie Bullock, Bojan Bogdanovic, Dwight Powell (if re-signed)

They could also throw Maxi Kleber into this lineup instead of Powell, but it doesn't make much of a difference. Dallas also has the mid-level exception to use on a player that could be a potential starter, but this is likely what the starting lineup would look like if they make this trade.