Rumors: Mavericks won't pursue trade for star shooting guard despite past interest

Noah Weber

Orlando Magic v Chicago Bulls / Jamie Sabau/GettyImages

The Dallas Mavericks are 9-3 to start the season, surpassing most people's expectations of what they thought this team was capable of.

Luka Doncic is proving all the doubters wrong, and Kyrie Irving has also been a great co-star. This duo is playing how they should, and the Mavs look like they could be a real contender in the Western Conference.

Over the past few years, Dallas has been known as a team that makes moves at the trade deadline to bolster their depth for the playoff push. Last season, they traded for Irving, and the season before, they traded Kristaps Porzingis for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans.

Rumors: Mavericks won't pursue trade for star shooting guard despite past interest

Nico Harrison is always looking to improve the roster, and I'm sure that this year is no different.

Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine is someone who has been in trade rumors as of late, and the Mavs have shown interest in trading for him in the past. Despite the past interest, NBA Insider Marc Stein reported that "the Mavericks are unlikely to pursue him," (subscription required) per a league source.

LaVine is averaging 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 0.8 steals per game this season for Chicago. He is undeniably an offensive force and a solid shooter, but it doesn't seem to make sense for Dallas to trade for him with the way their roster is currently constructed.

Dallas already has two offensive superstars in Doncic and Irving, and they need to trade for some frontcourt help if anything. The depth behind Dereck Lively II is thin, and despite his elite play to start the year, he still needs a backup.

Even though Dallas doesn't seem directly interested in LaVine, they could help the Bulls facilitate this trade as a third team. Gaining an asset like Andre Drummond or Patrick Williams could intrigue Nico Harrison and would take Dallas' depth to the next level.

For all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks this season, stay tuned.

Noah Weber

Noah Weber is the Site Expert for The Smoking Cuban, covering the Dallas Mavericks as a credentialed media member since the 2022-23 season. With a Bachelor of Science in Sports Media from Oklahoma State University, Noah has worked in sports journalism since 2019. While he's covered the Dallas Cowboys and Oklahoma State Cowboys, he has now established himself as a go-to voice for Mavericks coverage. Noah's expertise includes in-depth game analysis, social media content creation, and offering unique perspectives through his reporting. His work has been featured on major platforms such as ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Overtime. During his time at Oklahoma State, Noah won first place in the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association Awards for a show he co-produced. Outside of covering the Mavs, Noah enjoys working out, playing basketball and Spikeball, and spending quality time with friends and family.