Mavericks officially eligible to make gutsy trade for defensive ace

Last summer, the Dallas Mavericks had one of the most productive offseasons in recent memory.

The Mavs were coming off a season in which they missed the NBA Playoffs entirely, and they responded by drafting Dereck Lively II, re-signing Kyrie Irving, and signing Derrick Jones Jr. to a one-year deal.

Although Jones Jr. is gone as he signed with the LA Clippers this summer, all three of these moves helped lead the Mavs to a season in which they reached the NBA Finals. Dallas also tried to make one more move last summer that every fan was excited about, but it didn't end up working out in the Mavs' favor.

Dallas signed Matisse Thybulle of the Portland Trail Blazers to a three-year, $33 million offer sheet, but Portland matched Dallas' offer, forcing him to return to the Trail Blazers.

Mavericks finally eligible to trade for Matisse Thybulle

Thybulle wanted to be a Maverick badly last offseason, and now they're officially eligible to trade for him.

Portland matching Dallas' offer sheet came early last July, and since it's been a full year since that happened, the Mavs are officially allowed to trade for him.

Last season for the Blazers, Thybulle averaged 5.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 39.7 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from downtown. His scoring numbers and minutes per game were down when compared to his first (half) season in Portland, but he still remains a monster on the defensive end.

Thybulle is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, and he makes life hard for whoever he is guarding. Standing at 6-foot-5 with a 7-foot wingspan, Thybulle has the ideal frame to guard the league's best guards and wings.

Thybulle has outstanding hands, and he is great at anticipating where passes are going to go when he is playing off the ball. He leaves no airspace when guarding on the perimeter, and he always seems to make the right defensive play.

Since it's been over a year since Portland matched Dallas' offer sheet, now may be the perfect time for the Mavs to swoop in and trade for Thybulle. A trade for Thybulle would make Dallas' defense more elite than it already is, and his offensive game would likely take a jump playing next to Luka Doncic.

Thybulle would be getting the most open looks of his career, and his role would be to play lockdown defense on one end and hit open threes on the other end. This is the perfect role for a player of his skill set, and he'd assumedly be thrilled to get traded to the Mavs considering how badly he wanted to be in Dallas last summer.

It's unclear what Dallas would have to give up to get their hands on Thybulle, but a deal centered around Maxi Kleber and draft capital and or a young asset could intrigue Portland enough to make the deal.

Trading for Thybulle would be a risky move considering the limits to his offensive game and big contract, and Dallas would be extremely bold if they were to make another big move this summer.

Thybulle's defense is outstanding, but the risk is there too.

For all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks all offseason long, stay tuned as we'll have you covered.