Rumors: Hawks could hold a fire sale, should Mavericks do some shopping?

The Atlanta Hawks seem headed toward a lost season and could be big sellers at the deadline, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. A fire sale could be in the works to bottom out and get some key future assets in return.

Incidentally, the Dallas Mavericks are rumored to be active in the trade market and shopping two of their veterans. They also have to consider bolstering their roster in order to address some of their weaknesses in hopes of embarking on a deep playoff run.

As such, the Mavs might need to do their due diligence and look at the Hawks' available pieces.

Rumors: Hawks could hold a fire sale, should Mavericks do some shopping?

Firstly, it's safe to assume that there's certainly no Trae Young deal happening. Aside from Dallas needing to avoid him at all costs, the Hawks are expected to build around him.

Jalen Johnson would have been an interesting target for the organization. The third-year pro has emerged as a Most Improved Player candidate. He can play both forward positions, and his rebounding and defense could definitely prove useful for the Mavs. However, like Young, he is presumably off-limits.

Dallas can instead set its sights on a veteran, who should be able to address one of the team's biggest weaknesses - rebounding. I'm talking about Clint Capela, the big man who seems to be in trade rumors annually. This time, though, the former NBA rebounding leader could finally be on the move.

Capela is recording 10.8 boards and 1.7 blocks per game this season. Acquiring him can help Dallas improve in those departments where it has ranked in the bottom 10 in this campaign. Interestingly, the Mavs reportedly would have loved to trade for the 29-year-old center in the past offseason, but nothing materialized. Maybe now they can bring him in to help Dereck Lively II man the fort.

If Capela is unavailable, perhaps Dallas can check the availability of Onyeka Okongwu, a young rim runner who has yet to earn a starting spot in Atlanta despite being a former No. 6 pick. 

It might be counterintuitive to add another backup big when the Mavs already have Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell. However, the veterans have significant injury histories that could impact the team later on. They also could be expendable in the bigger scheme of things.

The Hawks' strong trade candidates are possibly Dejounte Murray, who has failed to live up to expectations after the franchise gave up several draft picks to obtain him, and Bogdan Bogdanovic. 

Dallas doesn't seem likely to be interested in those two because they don't solve any of the squad's needs. But the Mavs could serve as a trade facilitator and join a multiteam trade where Murray or Bogdanovic will be sent to sensible destinations while they land a piece that will fill their roster holes.

Stay tuned with us for updates about the Dallas Mavericks.