5 Pipe dream trade targets for the Dallas Mavericks not named LeBron James

In what could end up being a trend of the offseason, Kyrie Irving and LeBron James stole headlines earlier this week. The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that Irving had reached out to James in an attempt to recruit him to the Dallas Mavericks.

It's quickly become clear that Irving wants the Mavericks to explore a trade for James. And why wouldn't he? Even at his age, James is still one of the better players in the league and could help the Mavericks as they look to bounce back after a forgettable season in which they missed the playoffs.

Still, a trade seems like a very unlikely scenario, especially considering James would have to force his way off of the Los Angeles Lakers, as he's under contract through the 2023-24 season.

But if the Mavs are playing the pipe dream game heading into the offseason, there are a few other non-James trade targets who could even be more worth it for the team.

5 Pipe dream trade targets for the Dallas Mavericks not named LeBron James: 5. Jerami Grant, Portland Trail Blazers

As the Mavericks look for a star in the frontcourt who could play next to Luka Doncic, Jerami Grant could emerge as a pipe dream sign-and-trade target this summer.

With the Portland Trail Blazers' future very much up in the air, there's a chance that Grant could explore options outside of Portland this offseason, especially if the team pivots toward a rebuild and considers trading Damian Lillard.

In that scenario, the Mavs should pivot away from trying to recruit LeBron and shift their efforts to trying to persuade Grant to move down south. Grant would be a great slasher to pair alongside Irving and Doncic.

He is also still a solid, versatile defender who would immediately help the Mavs as they look to take a step forward on the defensive end of the floor next season. That said, there are many dominoes that would need to fall for Grant to even emerge as a possibility for Dallas this offseason.

4. OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors

Looking for a more conventional pipe dream trade target? OG Anunoby is a player that should be on the Dallas Mavericks' radar at the start of the offseason.

Anunoby may be the most underrated two-way star in the NBA right now, and if he does end up being shopped during the summer, a team is going to come away with a truly impactful budding star. The Mavs should do whatever it takes to get in on that conversation.

On paper, it's pretty clear that the Mavs need a 3-and-D player, and Anunoby is the ultimate 3-and-D star in the league right now. If Dallas can add Anunoby next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, this is a team that would emerge as a legit championship contender in the Western Conference.

But any package for Anunoby will be a big one. Anunoby is just 25 years old and is likely just entering the prime years of his career. A hypothetical trade for Anunoby would take nearly every asset that the Mavs have at their disposal and even then, it may not be enough.

In a perfect offseason world, Anunoby would be near the top when it comes to pipe dream trade targets for the Mavs.

3. Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers

When Myles Turner signed a contract extension with the Indiana Pacers earlier this year before the NBA trade deadline, many assumed it would signal the end of the "will they or won't they trade him" saga.

However, I find that hard to believe, especially considering the Pacers are still somewhat figuring out which path they want to explore as a franchise moving forward.

They have extremely talented young players on their roster, but also some veteran-type players in Buddy Hield and Turner. It's not outlandish to think that the Pacers could circle back to trading Turner, especially considering he only signed a two-year extension.

If that becomes the case, the Mavs would be a great landing spot for Turner. He's everything Dallas needs in one player.

Immediately, the Mavericks would have improved defense and rim protection. As one of the better rim protectors in the league, Turner has averaged at least two blocks per game in each of the last five seasons.

In addition to being an elite defender, he's also made strides on the offensive end of the floor, where he could add another element to the Mavs' starting unit, as they currently don't have as a stretch big.

Turner may not be the big name that some fans are clamoring for, but he's an extremely quality player that would undoubtedly make the Mavs better.

2. Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors

If there's an ideal pipe dream trade target for the Dallas Mavericks this offseason, Pascal Siakam would be it. Looking from an optimistic point of view, there's also a non-zero chance that the Toronto Raptors will end up trading him this offseason.

Of course, if that were to happen, there would be an all-out bidding war for his services. It would be hard to envision the Mavs winning any level of said war this offseason, but I suppose that's a conversation for another day.

From strictly a basketball perspective, however, Siakam would make a ton of sense for the Mavs.

He'd be a seamless fit next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving and would have no trouble playing as a third option. Even though he can raise his level of play and be a lead man, as we've seen in Toronto over the past few seasons, his game is versatile enough to the point where he can still find ways to be an effective player off the ball and on the defensive end.

Siakam is probably in the latter stages of his prime years in the NBA and could very much benefit from a change of scenery or a new challenge at this point in his career (especially if the Raptors are pivoting toward retooling or even a rebuild).

With or without Irving, a Doncic-Siakam should be viewed as an intriguing possibility for Dallas.

1. Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns

In what could be viewed as the most realistic pipe dream trade target for the Dallas Mavericks, Deandre Ayton is a player that very much should be on the team's radar heading into the offseason.

Talks could be amplified even more, as, according to the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective podcast, Ayton is the big-name player on the Phoenix Suns who could very well end up being traded this summer.

Adding Ayton would help balance out the Mavs' roster. Assuming Kyrie Irving is going to be re-signed, there's a possibility that the Mavs would have one of the most balanced Big Threes in the Western Conference after the potential acquisition of Ayton.

The big question, however, is whether a Big Three of Irving, Luka Doncic, and Ayton would be enough to break through in the West. As talented as they would be on paper, that's far from a foregone conclusion, especially considering how unpredictable Irving can be.

That doesn't mean it shouldn't be explored, however, and I'm sure the Mavs will likely do just that this offseason. Whether or not they have enough assets to create an enticing package for the Suns is an entirely different conversation.

The Mavs will do their best to acquire a third star but remains to be seen whether they will be able to get the right deal done.