The Dallas Mavericks are in the midst of a well-deserved home stretch and fumbled their latest game in a 120-103 defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies, who are without superstar Ja Morant for the season due to a shoulder injury.
Despite Morant not being available, the Grizzlies still managed to dominate the Mavericks throughout the entirety of the game. A big part of their success was former TCU forward Desmond Bane.
There's no coincidence that in Bane's last four matchups against the Mavericks, he's surpassed 28 points in each game. It's no secret the Grizzlies forward could have wanted to stay in the DFW metroplex before the draft.
Grizzlies star Desmond Bane roasts Dallas Mavericks' massive mistake
After the game on Tuesday night, Bane voiced his thoughts on the Mavs and their decision to not draft him.
"They were supposed to take me," Bane said. "The PA guy came up and apologized. He said he thinks about it every day. That’s exactly what I want them to be thinking about."
The Mavericks selected Josh Green with their 2020 first-round pick and Tyrell Terry just one pick after Desmond Bane was drafted at the start of the second round.
In hindsight, the Mavs would draft Bane with both picks if they could. The 2020 draft could be a real miss in the Mavericks' eyes.
As the trade deadline gets closer, the team has figured out what positions they want to upgrade, and which ones need to be upgraded now. A player like Bane would be the perfect fit for this team and Luka Doncic, but he is likely unattainable.
The ironic feeling of wanting a player you could've had, and now it feels like the Mavericks have spent multiple seasons trying to add players like Bane.
Unfortunately, as the season progresses and injuries stack up we can see the glaring need for some help on this Mavericks team. Making the right move at the deadline is a key piece for how successful this season will be. The front office will continue to weigh the pros and cons of making a move now or a potentially bigger move in the summer.
Stay tuned for more updates on Josh Green and the Dallas Mavericks.