Grade the Trade: Mavericks land former MVP in a wild three-team mock blockbuster

Grading the trade for the Dallas Mavericks

In exchange for a first-round pick, two second-round picks, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Christain Wood, the Mavericks land one of the best isolation scorers of all time. Wood is an unrestricted free agent, Hardaway Jr. has been on the trade block for weeks, and they give up two seconds and a first.

This is decent value to land James Harden for a year, but the Dallas Mavericks would likely never consider this trade. After going through the growing pains of having an awful defense last season, they can't afford to get worse defensively, and bringing in Harden does just that.

They would also be giving up one of their most valuable assets in the 2027 first-round pick for a one-year rental of Harden. That is the last thing that the Mavs would want to do with their first-round pick, as they don't seem to want to trade it, and the fit isn't there.

Last season, Harden averaged 21.0 points, 10.7 assists, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. He is still a great offensive player, but the Mavs already have two great offensive players in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

The Mavs would have one of the best big threes in the NBA in Harden, Doncic, and Irving, but this trio wouldn't work. Star big threes aren't the formula to winning anymore in the NBA, and the Mavs shouldn't waste a year of the Doncic and Irving duo and trade for Harden.

Potential starting lineup: Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Luka Doncic, Grant Williams, Dwight Powell

The Mavs get a D for this trade because they give up their 2027 first-round pick and multiple seconds for a player that won't fit on their roster in the first place.

We'll have you covered with all the latest news and rumors surrounding the Dallas Mavericks for the rest of the offseason, so stay tuned.