Grade the Trade: Mavericks land 25-year-old defensive monster in mock deal

The Dallas Mavericks have a ton of work to do this summer if they hope to not only get back into the playoffs but compete for a championship. And with Luka Doncic leading the way, that should always be the goal.

This past year was a complete failure, as they didn’t even make the Play-In Tournament despite making a blockbuster move for Kyrie Irving at the trade deadline.

Now, they need to re-sign Irving, nail their free agency signings, and perhaps most importantly, make some big-time trades to improve the roster around their two stars.

The Mavericks have some solid assets to work with on the roster. A group that includes Josh Green, a promising young wing, and Jaden Hardy, a talented young guard fresh off his rookie campaign.

However, their most valuable trade asset is their draft pick, as they landed the 10th overall pick in the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft, which is supposed to be loaded with talent.

While the Mavericks could choose to make the pick and add an impactful rookie, trading the selection for win-now talent makes a lot more sense, and it’s a move they are expected to make.

Plenty of teams around the league would love to get their hands on the 10th pick, and during a recent stream for Bleacher Report, NBA YouTuber Sixringsofsteel concocted a trade that would ship the selection to the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors are also in a state of flux, as they need to decide whether or not to hit the reset button or simply retool and push forward.

Let’s take a look at the trade and why both teams might be interested.