5 Trades the Dallas Mavericks could make with the 10th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft

The Dallas Mavericks landed the tenth pick in the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery, which pushed the first-round selection they owe to the New York Knicks off until 2024. This gives Dallas extra ammo to improve their team this offseason.

This looks to be a pretty deep draft, especially through the first 12 selections. After the first three picks are off the board, there are a handful of players expected to make up the next tier that are very capable of having an immediate impact on their future teams. Those guys (not in order) are Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, Taylor Hendricks, Jarace Walker, Cam Whitmore, Grady Dick, Cason Wallace, and Anthony Black.

That means the Mavs are in a spot where they are most likely going to be talking to teams across the league who are looking to move up and select a player that can provide a positive contribution to their respective franchises potentially right away and in the future.

Here are five potential trades that could give each side a worthwhile return.

5. Los Angeles Lakers

Why would the Lakers make this deal?

If needed, LeBron and the Lakers can potentially have around $29 million in salary cap space this summer, depending on what free agents they retain (D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Lonnie Walker IV, and others).

However, it would be extremely unlikely to see L.A. let all four of Russell, Reaves, Hachimura, and Walker IV walk this summer. This means that if they want to improve their team, they are going to need to do so either via trade or the NBA draft.

Adding an impactful lottery pick to their team could help them now and in the future. Guys like Jarace Walker or Taylor Hendricks could have an immediate impact on the Lakers' rotation and bolster their defense significantly.

Offensively, 3-point shooting has been an Achilles heel for L.A. since LeBron arrived. A player like Grady Dick, out of Kansas, would drastically reduce this glaring weakness.

Why would the Mavs make this deal?

Bamba is a player that has shown flashes of potential but has failed to live up to his draft-day hype. He almost averaged a double-double for Orlando in 2022 with 1.7 blocks per game.

As a bonus, he is a career 36 percent 3-point shooter and just turned 25 years old.

At 6'9, Vanderbilt is already a borderline elite perimeter defender, can guard almost every position on the floor, has a high motor, and could provide the Mavericks with a defensive presence they haven't had on this roster in over a decade.

He's a poor 3-point shooter, but at only 24 years old, has plenty of time to become respectable in that regard.

This trade would allow Dallas to dump the failed JaVale McGee experiment onto someone else, and get two guys in return that would immediately be a part of their rotation.

Both Bamba and Vanderbilt are free agents after the 2023-2024 season meaning the Mavs could part ways going into next summer if it doesn't work out.

4. Golden State Warriors

Why would Golden State make this deal?

Losing in the second round of this year's playoffs showed that the Warriors need to make a few adjustments if they want to get back to the NBA Finals.

They are in win-now mode and giving up picks, plus two guys towards the bottom of their rotation to draft a player who could potentially help them next season makes logical sense. They also have no way of realistically creating cap space to sign an impactful free agent.

Worth noting, they have a history with JaVale McGee as he was a part of two of their championship teams. They know him as a player and might be one of the only teams that can get the most out of his ability. Having another big body to throw at guys like Anthony Davis doesn't hurt either.

Maxi Kleber could be a nice rotation player off their bench, providing defense, and 3-point shooting that should fit their system seamlessly. Golden State doesn't currently have anyone on their roster like Kleber, and he could fill a void for them.

Why do the Mavs make this deal?

For Dallas, they still would get the 19th pick in the draft and acquire an additional first-round pick in 2027. This would give them another asset they could use in future trades, plus two players that would immediately enter their rotation.

Gary Payton II has been plagued by injuries and is now 30 years old. However, when he is on the floor, he is an active defender and has shown the ability to be a solid 3-point shooter when given the opportunity. If healthy, he would be a great addition off the bench for Dallas.

Multiple teams have been trying to pry Jonathan Kuminga away from the Warriors over the last few months.

Standing at 6'8, Kuminga has shown tremendous flashes of being a promising two-way player. He can defend multiple positions and improved his 3-point shooting from 33 percent to 37 percent from year one to year two. He is only 20 years old and looks to have only scratched the surface of his potential.

3. Memphis Grizzlies

Why does Memphis make this deal?

The Grizzlies have had some issues both on and off the court over the last two seasons. Steven Adams seems to be the only mature voice in the locker room, but it appears his words are falling on deaf ears. Memphis likes to win games defensively, and not retaining Dillon Brooks' services leaves an opening for a defensive-minded wing that can shoot threes.

Most of the draft prospects, aside from Grady Dick, in range of the tenth pick can all have a positive impact defensively.

In this scenario, they could draft a more athletic and rangier player to pair next to Jaren Jackson Jr., instead of Steven Adams, who is still a very good starting center. Most of the players available when the tenth pick is on the clock can shoot the three ball, something that Steven Adams doesn't even attempt to do.

Although Reggie Bullock isn't on the same level as Dillon Brooks as a perimeter defender, he's still above average and has shot 38.4 percent from three for his career.

Replacing Brooks with Bullock could work out better for Memphis, even if Bullock doesn't end up playing as many minutes or having as big of a role as Brooks did. Reggie Bullock is also a good guy off the court who could replace a little bit of the veteran leadership that would be vacated by Steven Adams leaving in this deal.

Why does Dallas do this deal?

The biggest glaring need for the Mavs is finding a legitimate starting center that can rebound and play defense. Steven Adams is that guy.

It is also worth mentioning that Adams is an oustanding screener, which is commonly overlooked, but something Luka Doncic would love to have.

Adams turns 30 in July and has had a few injuries over the last three seasons, but he's also coming off of a career-high 11.5 rebounds per game. No, he isn't going to score a lot, but he addresses a lot of the weaknesses that Dallas is desperately looking to fill.

Jake LaRavia is a 21-year-old forward coming off of a rookie season that only saw him play in 35 games and average 11.8 minutes per game.

However, he was drafted 19th overall in the 2022 draft and has been projected to be a high-end role player. He is a willing passer, can shoot the ball, and plays the game with high intelligence.

LaRavia could be the most valuable player in this deal long term, but he still needs some seasoning in the NBA.

John Konchar most likely would be an end-of-the-rotation player, but he's shown the ability to be a solid 3-point shooter and gets more rebounds than you would expect for a guy his size. He averaged 4.3 rebounds per game last season.

2. Toronto Raptors

Why does Toronto do this deal?

Considering how many teams want Anunoby, it seems like the Mavs' offer wouldn't be enough. However, there are a few things to consider first.

For starters, Toronto is at a crucial point in their franchise's journey. They don't currently have the roster to compete for a title, and their first-round draft pick next year goes to San Antonio if it doesn't fall within the top six.

They currently are projected to be almost $40 million over the salary cap for next season.

Even if they trim down as much as possible, that would still leave them $6 million over the salary cap. Fred VanVleet has a player option for $22.8 million next season, and it wouldn't be surprising if he declined that option to sign a larger contract either in Toronto or somewhere else.

Secondly, OG Anunoby has a player option for $19.9 million after the 2023-2024 season. Taking into account his ascension and how much he is coveted around the league, it would be probable that he would decline that option.

Therefore, a team trading for him would only be guaranteed to have him under contract for one season. This should reduce his price tag in a trade with the Raptors.

Gary Trent Jr. also has a player option for a little over $18 million, and it wouldn't be surprising if he declined his option as well.

The Raptors almost assuredly are going to be rebuilding, and adding the tenth pick in this draft to their 13th pick, would be a great star, especially if they end up having to convey their first-round pick to San Antonio next year.

Then, they would also land Jaden Hardy in this trade. Hardy showed tremendous potential in his rookie season with the Mavs. If the 2022 draft was done all over again, he would likely be drafted in the lottery.

He is a fearless guard who plays with buckets of confidence and swagger. He can score from any place on the court and could potentially develop into an All-Star caliber player in the right situation.

Adding Hardy into this package essentially gives the Raptors two lottery talents to pair with their 13th pick in this year's draft. That is a great way to start a rebuilding effort.

Tim Hardaway Jr. will come off the books after two seasons and could be a nice expiring contract the Raptors could flip at the 2024-2025 trade deadline.

Why do the Mavs do this deal?

Dallas simply does this deal because it would give them OG Anunoby.

He is a 25-year-old, 6'7 defensive menace, who shot almost 39 percent from the 3-point line last season on 5.5 attempts per game.

He's also more than just a "3-and-D" guy as he averaged a career-high 4.2 made two-point field goals per game last season. He averaged 16.8 points per game in 2022-2023, so almost half of his points came from inside the arc.

Anunoby would bring the Mavs a two-way player they haven't had on the roster since Shawn Marion, except OG is just now starting to enter his prime, whereas Marion was starting to enter the backside of his career.

1. Indiana Pacers

Why do the Pacers do this deal?

Indiana has been going through a rebuilding process for a while now. Last season, they started to show a little improvement with their youth movement. However, they are still a few years away from possibly being a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference.

Adding the Mavericks' tenth pick would give them four first-round picks in the 2023 draft, including two picks in the top ten. This trade would also give them an additional 2027 first-round pick.

That would be a great way to build a potential contender going forward.

Throwing in two veterans, whom Rick Carlisle is familiar with, could be a great bridge for them until their youngsters round into form. Hardaway Jr. and Kleber would also be great locker-room influences.

Myles Turner is 27 years old and simply doesn't fit their timeline. He is an unrestricted free agent in 2025, which would be the earliest the Pacers could expect to start seriously competing. Most likely, Indiana is two to four years away from where they want to be.

Why does Dallas do this deal?

Giving up the last two remaining first-round picks that the Mavs can trade for the foreseeable future, for one player, is a little bit of a tough pill to swallow. However, Turner would instantly become one of the most impactful centers in franchise history.

Turner is coming off a season that saw him average career highs in points per game (18), rebounds per game (7.5), field goal percentage (54.8), effective field goal percentage (61.2), and free throw attempts per game (4.5). He also shot 37.3 percent from 3-point range on four attempts per game.

He is also one of the premier shot blockers in the NBA and would instantly help cover up for the lack of perimeter defense on the Dallas roster.

Offensively, his post-game has continued to develop over the years to a point where he now has both a decent hook shot and an impressive post fade. He has progressed to the point where he is a legitimately respectable three-level scorer.

His rebounding isn't as strong as you would like it to be for a starting center, but he's still adequate and miles better than anything the Dallas Mavericks have put on the floor in recent years.