Dallas Mavericks stand pat on 2023 trade deadline day

The Dallas Mavericks pulled off a blockbuster deal for Kyrie Irving on Sunday afternoon. They gave up two starters, one first-round draft pick, and two second-round picks to land the eight-time All-Star. It was the team’s massive swing for a second star, but it left Dallas with multiple holes in their roster.

The Mavs could not find a way to fill them on a wild and crazy deadline day that saw several Western Conference playoff contenders upgrade their rosters. The Clippers added multiple pieces. Golden State brought back Gary Payton II, and the Suns made the biggest blockbuster to acquire Kevin Durant. Moves were flying so fast that things were easy to miss, but Dallas remained quiet.

The trade for Irving limited what the Mavericks could do, but it was surprising to see Dallas stand pat with multiple holes on their roster. Here is a look at the questions the Mavs must answers in the weeks ahead as they look to work their way into legitimate title contenders with their new superstar duo.

Dallas Mavericks stand pat on 2023 trade deadline day: Where must they improve?

The Mavs have two of the best ball handlers in the NBA, but they are their only playmakers on the roster. Can Dallas survive with just two creators in the playoffs? It made sense for the Mavericks to target a backup point guard, but they could not find a deal that worked out.

Their biggest questions come on the defensive end of the floor. The Mavs are going to have an elite offense with two of the best scorers in the league, but can they get stops? Dallas traded their best perimeter defender to land Irving, and they failed to find a replacement before Thursday’s deadline.

It made sense for Dallas to upgrade at the five after their offseason signing of JaVale McGee has not worked out. The Mavericks clearly could not find a veteran big man they trusted at the available prices.

The Dallas Mavericks could still upgrade their roster via the buyout market. Multiple veterans will be available, including John Wall, but none of those players will be game-changing. Dallas held onto Christian Wood and Tim Hardaway Jr. through the deadline, and they kept Dwight Powell on an expiring contract.

The lack of moves speaks to the team’s trust in Josh Green and Jaden Hardy. Those were the Mavs' two biggest assets on deadline day, and the team kept both players. They believe in both, including Josh Green stepping up to fill that Dorian Finney-Smith role in the postseason.

Will the Dallas Mavericks make a deep playoff run with Kyrie Irving flanking Luka Doncic? Can they find a rotation piece on the buyout market? Does head coach Jason Kidd bring the best out of this roster? Does Dallas have enough depth on their roster? There are still a ton of questions to answer, and fans have to stay tuned for what should be a fun and exciting stretch run. Do not miss it.