Mavericks: Should Dallas trade for Marvin Bagley?

Case against the Dallas Mavericks trading for Marvin Bagley III

Bagley has never played more than 26 minutes per game in part because of injuries and foul issues. He is entering his fourth NBA season having appeared in 118 of a possible 226 contests with foot, hand, wrist, calf, groin, knee, and back ailments causing him to miss time.

The 22-year-old has struggled mightily on the defensive end of the floor in his first three years in the league. He cannot defend the perimeter and had issues guarding size inside. It often takes big men more time to develop, but Bagley must improve on this end of the floor to be an impactful rotation player on a playoff team.

The Dallas Mavericks have a glut of big men entering the 2021-2022 season. Kristaps Porzingis leads the group of six power forwards and centers. Dallas would have to make room for Bagley and cater to his skill set. New head coach Jason Kidd emphasized defense during training camp, so trading for an offense-first big man might be counterintuitive. 

Marvin Bagley III has been in trade rumors for over a year and a deal never gets done. The Kings must have some asking price that other teams are not willing to meet making a deal with the Dallas Mavericks unlikely. It is impossible to buy low if the current team won’t sell at a bargain price.