Why Mavericks meeting Spurs asking price for Jakob Poeltl would be massive mistake

Dallas Mavericks would be locked in with Jakob Poeltl as Luka Doncic’s co-star

Trading two first-round picks for Poeltl means the team would have to re-sign him to a four-year deal worth $80-plus million in the offseason. The Mavericks would still have some contracts that they could send off to pull in another piece, but they would not have the draft capital to trade. Dallas sinking multiple picks into acquiring Poeltl effectively locks him and Spencer Dinwiddie in as the two best players around Luka for the foreseeable future.

In this scenario, the Mavs likely extend Christian Wood and virtually run it back next season with Jakob Poeltl replacing Dwight Powell at the five. Is that team good enough to win a championship? Cap space in 2024 and 2025 would be virtually gone if they give both Poeltl and Wood long-term deals, which means that would be the team around Luka Doncic for the remainder of his second contract.

Can Doncic and Poeltl compete with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in Boston or the collection of talent the Nuggets have around two-time MVP Nikola Jokic? The Mavericks would be far from title favorites if they acquired Poeltl, and they would be locked in for the foreseeable future with that roster, which makes acquiring him a massive mistake at the current asking price.

Will the Dallas Mavericks make a massive splash before the trade deadline? Nobody knows, but it will be fascinating to watch, so please stay tuned for all the latest.