7. Dallas Mavericks hop in a James Harden trade to acquire Ivica Zubac from the Los Angeles Clippers
It seems like James Harden is more likely to get traded by the day, and the Dallas Mavericks should take advantage of this by helping the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers facilitate a trade.
The trade would be hard for the two teams to make work on their own, and the Mavericks benefit tremendously from helping make this trade work.
**Sign-and-trade: Dallas' Christian Wood signs three-year, $15 million contract with Philadelphia
In this move, the Mavericks land their new starting center in Ivica Zubac while only trading Tim Hardaway Jr. and JaVale McGee. Dallas also sends Christian Wood in this deal, but the 76ers would have to agree to terms with Wood as part of the sign and trade. Wood started his career in Philadelphia, and maybe the 76ers want to bring him back on a discounted deal while his value is low.
Hardaway Jr. and McGee are two players that the Mavs already seem to want to trade, and this James Harden trade would be the perfect chance to make it happen. They help the money work for both sides, and both players would have a chance to play on their respective teams. Hardaway Jr. would likely play heavy minutes in Philadelphia, but you get the point.
While Zubac would be the Mavs' new starting center, Dallas also lands Marcus Morris Sr. He would give the Mavs more frontcourt depth and give them a veteran who has started in 45 playoff games.
Zubac doesn't fit the Mavs perfectly as he isn't a lob catcher and isn't the best switch defender, but he is a massive upgrade from anyone they have now. He is a great scorer in the paint and would give the Mavs a player that can consistently post a double-double.