Rumors: All-Star wing is targeting a shocking blockbuster trade to the Mavericks

With the December 15 deadline approaching where players who signed contracts over the summer can be traded, some trade rumbles around the league are starting to heat up.

The Dallas Mavericks happen to have four players who are eligible to be traded starting on December 15, but there has been no reporting that indicates they are looking to move any of them. There have been some rumors that they'll try to trade Maxi Kleber though, and he seems like the most likely Maverick who will be on the move.

Kleber's injuries and lack of confidence have hurt him his season, and despite still being a solid defender, his days in Dallas could be numbered.

Dallas is one of Jimmy Butler's preferred trade destinations

On the other hand, Dallas was linked to Jimmy Butler last week, and some recent rumors gave us a better picture of what's going on with Butler and the possibility that the Miami Heat trade him to the Mavs this season.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Heat are "open to offers for Butler (subscription required) and making a deal if the proposal is right," and his agent Bernie Lee has indicated that the Mavericks are one of the three teams that he is open to being traded to along with the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors.

Butler's main priority in a trade is to be moved to a "win-now title contender" and the Mavs are the perfect spot for him to win now (if they were to trade for him). Dallas is the hottest team in the NBA right now, but if they were to make a trade for him it must be considered that he intends to opt out of his current contract and become a free agent this summer.

While this situation can be tricky considering that the Mavs could end up losing him for nothing over the offseason, they have been in this position before. Dallas traded for Kyrie Irving in the middle of the 2022-23 season when he would become a free agent that summer, and they were able to re-sign him over the summer on a three-year deal. The Mavs could be looking to do the same with Butler, but getting him to Dallas would be difficult due to the financial implications of a trade for him.

Dallas would have to give up an arm and a leg to get him to Big D, but it's undeniable that he'd be a good fit on the Mavs. He would solidify the starting lineup next to Luka Doncic and Irving, and he would give the Mavericks an elite big three.

Butler still remains an excellent defender, and he would become Dallas' point-of-attack stopper in the starting lineup. While Klay Thompson has been better on defense than expected, Butler is a huge upgrade defensively over Thompson, and his versatility and physicality are two of the most attractive parts of his game.

On the other end of the floor, Butler puts pressure on the rim with his constant attacks and is a good mid-range scorer. He also is an excellent secondary playmaker and can be used as a point forward when needed. Dallas has put an emphasis on players like P.J. Washington and Naji Marshall bringing the ball up when needed this season, and Butler could bring more of that.

Regardless of whether the Mavs make a deal for Butler or not, it's a major step in the right direction that Dallas is a destination that he is considering. Over the last few years, Dallas has slowly become a spot that star players are beginning to want to come to, and the days of superstars turning their heads the other way when it comes to joining the Mavs are over.