Grade the trade: Mavs add new big man in mock 3-team deal with Hawks, Raptors

Grading the trade for the Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks would only receive one player in this trade: Clint Capela. They would be shipping out Tim Hardaway Jr. and JaVale McGee, two players who have been involved in trade talks for some time now.

The Mavs know Capela very well from his time with Houston. The former Rocket spent six seasons in Houston before being traded to Atlanta in 2019. His career began somewhat slow, but he quickly emerged as a premier rim protector and interior presence.

Capela holds career averages of 12.4 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game. And perhaps most importantly, Capela holds a career field goal percentage of 62.8%. He is a strong finisher on the interior and would provide Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic with a top-tier lob threat.

The veteran big man fits the mold extremely well. He is a veteran who provides exactly what the Mavs need. After trading multiple future draft picks in recent years, the Mavs are tasked with acquiring talented players who are currently in their prime.

Capela just turned 29 years old in May and signed a two-year extension last season. If the Mavs were to acquire Capela, they would have his services for at least two more seasons, during which he'd still be in his prime.

Although Dallas just drafted Dereck Lively II in the first round of last month's draft, he appears to be raw, especially on offense. Lively II only averaged 5.2 points per game in his lone season at Duke. Adding Capela to the Mavs roster would allow Lively II some additional time to develop his offensive game.

Potential starting lineup: Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, Josh Green, Grant Williams, Clint Capela

Dallas gets an A+ for this trade. Giving up Hardaway Jr., McGee, and a second-rounder for Capela is without a doubt, a great deal. The Mavs have been looking to move Hardway Jr. and McGee. The addition of Capela proves the Mavs are in win-now mode and a player like Capela might be the missing piece.