Rumors: Lakers eyeing bold move to spoil Mavericks' 'dream' trade scenario

After last night's victory over the Atlanta Hawks, the Dallas Mavericks are 10-8 on the season and have won five of their last six games. This hot stretch helped Dallas climb out of a horrendous four-game losing streak that exposed their late-game struggles, and now the Mavs are cooking with gas even though Luka Doncic is sidelined with a wrist injury.

Dallas' bench is finally starting to step up after an extremely rough start to the season, and Naji Marshall is quietly turning into one of the most consistent players on the team. His defense, in-between game, and improved 3-point shooting have all helped the Mavs over the last few games, and he is turning into a fan favorite after only just 18 games.

Despite Dallas playing at a high level recently, it's undeniable that they are always looking to get better. The Mavs have consistently made moves at the trade deadline to retool their roster, and many of these moves have been majorly influential in helping them improve their rosters. Last season their trades for P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford helped them reach the NBA Finals, and Nico Harrison is never afraid to make a splash at the trade deadline.

We could see more of the same here in a couple of months, and there is always one player who Mavs fans have their eyes on once February rolls around.

Lakers eyeing trade for Dorian Finney-Smith

Dorian Finney-Smith has been a rumored trade target for Dallas in the past following their decision to trade him to the Brooklyn Nets to acquire Kyrie Irving, and he is someone who the Mavs could look to pursue once again this season. It's clear that Finney-Smith would want to return to Dallas eventually due to his love for the city and organization, but the Los Angeles Lakers could end up spoiling Mavs fans' "dream" trade target's reunion in Dallas.

Lakers insider Anthony F. Irwin was on the "LOUNGE" with NBA insider Jake Fischer earlier this week, and Irwin reported that Los Angeles was interested in Finney-Smith last season, and their interest in the 6-foot-7 wing has persisted into this season.

"They've been in constant contact with Brooklyn about him," Irwin said about the Lakers' interest in Finney-Smith.

While the last reported interest from the Mavs in a trade for Finney-Smith was last season, that doesn't change the fact that he would be an excellent fit in Dallas. They need more depth at the power forward position, and adding a versatile wing who can defend and knock down open threes would be an outstanding move to gear up for the postseason push.

This season for the Nets, Finney-Smith is averaging 10.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 41.0 percent from downtown. This has quietly been one of the best seasons in Finney-Smith's career, and his 41 percent from downtown is a career-best while shooting a career-high 5.6 attempts per game.

He already knows how to play within Dallas' system and thrive next to Luka Doncic, and adding him to this Mavericks bench would give them some much-needed size, strength, and shooting. Doncic has made it clear that he'd love to team up with Finney-Smith again one day, and trading for him would bolster Dallas' frontcourt depth.

While Maxi Kleber is coming off his best game of the season against the Hawks in which he scored seven points and pulled seven rebounds, some fans think that it's time for Dallas to upgrade at his spot.

His inability to stay healthy combined with his inconsistency puts Dallas in a tough spot when evaluating his future fit, but it is undeniable that he is a huge part of what they do and makes a huge impact on the game when he's healthy.

Brooklyn's asking price may be too high to begin with when speculating about the Mavs' potential interest in him this season, and him going to the Lakers may be the move that they need to cement themselves as elite contenders in the West.

Los Angeles needs more perimeter defense badly, and that is exactly what Finney-Smith would bring if they were to trade for him.

The Mavs haven't had a crack at the Lakers yet this season, and their first matchup of the season is on January 7 at the American Airlines Center. Dallas and Los Angeles seemingly always bring the best out of each other, and you won't want to miss that game.