Rumors: Dallas Mavericks have interest in trading for Zach LaVine

The Dallas Mavericks want a second star to pair with Luka Doncic, but acquiring one is never easy. They still owe one first-round pick to the New York Knicks from the original Kristaps Porzingis trade. KP not filling that second star role has prevented Dallas from being a true title contender, and the Mavs cannot afford to make a similar mistake with the next player they acquire.

The clock is ticking as Luka is in the first year of his max extension. The Mavericks need to build a legit title contender around him before he can hit free agency in 2026. If not, Doncic could team up with another star and leave Dallas forever.

Dallas could wait until the offseason, which would give them a full complement of first-round picks to trade, but the front office may not want to wait that long. Bulls guard Zach LaVine could be available before the Feb. 9 trade deadline, and ESPN’s Tim MacMahon says the Mavs have interest. It is not the first time they have been linked to LaVine, so here is a look at what MacMahon had to say on the latest edition of the Lowe Post podcast.

Rumors: Dallas Mavericks have interest in Zach LaVine

The discussion on Dallas centered around finding a co-star for Luka Doncic, and McMahon pulled no punches with his comments on the Mavericks' feelings about LaVine. See his quote below.

"There’s obviously been a lot of talk about the Bulls, and do they blow it up, and how are things with LaVine there? I just know there are fans of him that hold prominent positions within the Mavericks. I am not sitting here and telling you it’s some great consensus, but I think there are enough fans of him that I wouldn’t totally rule it out."

Obviously, it is not the most ringing endorsement, but the Mavericks could land the two-time All-Star at a discount given his knee issues and the questions about his contributions to winning. LaVine has not played more than 70 games since 2016, but he is averaging over 22 points per game. He would be the best scorer Luka has played with in his NBA career, even if he is not the perfect fit next to number 77.

LaVine is in the first season of a five-year $215 million extension, so Dallas would have him locked up long-term. That could be worrying given his persistent knee issues, but the Mavericks want a long-term co-star for Luka.

The Bulls are not even shopping LaVine at this point. They are struggling and could decide to blow it up before Feb. 9, but Chicago has every reason to see if their team can bounce back. The Bulls are a team to monitor heading into the deadline as they could be this year's biggest seller.

Will the Dallas Mavericks actually land Zach LaVine? The odds are low. It is something the front office will consider, but the Mavs are likely to wait until at least this offseason when they can survey the market and see which star would be the best fit next to Luka Doncic.

Expect plenty of Mavericks rumors leading up to the trade deadline. Dallas wants to add talent, so the team will be linked to every available player. What will Nico Harrison and the front office pull off? Stay tuned to find out