3 Outside-the-box trade ideas to make the Mavericks a contender this season

1. Mavericks land their starting center in trade with Knicks

In this trade, the Mavs land their starting center for the next few years, but not for cheap.

Fournier fell out of favor with Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau last season and recently spoke out about it to a French media outlet, almost assuredly confirming his eventual exit from New York.

Mitchell Robinson, although still providing quality play, looks like he could eventually lose some playing time to Isaiah Hartenstein.

This trade allows them to trade both players while still getting quality players in return that can help them compete next season. Maxi Kleber is a versatile defender, which Tom Thibodeau loves, and would provide them with better spacing offensively.

Tim Hardaway Jr. would help them improve their three-point shooting, an area that was a glaring weakness last season.

For Dallas, Mitchell Robinson would provide them with a starting center that can rebound, defend, and roll to the rim for lobs. He's also under contract for the next three seasons, which gives Derek Lively II the time to grow into the player they hope he can be.

In addition, Robinson's deal is pretty cheap (and descending) as he is only a cap hit of $15.6 million, $14.3 million, and $12.9 over that period.

Robinson would play a similar role to what you've seen from Dwight Powell but is an above-average rebounder and rim protector, something that Powell hasn't been able to do for Dallas.

Adding that presence in the middle would round out the Mavericks' starting lineup nicely. His numbers could also increase by simply having more space inside to rim roll and rebound than he has had thus far during his tenure with the Knicks.

Evan Fournier is a career 38 percent three-point shooter and could fill the shooting void potentially left by Hardaway Jr.'s departure. At 6-foot-7, he would also be able to play minutes at the wing position instead of competing for playing time with Jaden Hardy, Seth Curry, and Dante Exum.

Fournier has a team option for the last year of his deal at $19 million, something the Mavs could use to create more cap space next summer if he doesn't work out in Dallas. It could also be used as a nice trade chip going into the 2024-2025 trade deadline as an expiring contract.

We'll have you covered with all the latest surrounding the Mavs this summer, so stay tuned.