Thunder just showed Mavericks exactly who they must trade for to return to NBA Finals

Just a few days ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder became the 2025 NBA Champions after defeating the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals in a very intense seven-game series filled with twists and turns.

Throughout the whole season, but specifically in the playoffs, Alex Caruso, one of the newest additions to the Thunder roster, was phenomenal on both ends of the floor and aced the role that OKC assigned him, ultimately helping lead them to win the NBA Finals. In 23 games throughout the playoffs, Caruso averaged 9.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and two steals per game while shooting 41.1 percent from the 3-point line.

A player that could essentially be the Dallas Mavericks' version of Alex Caruso is current Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball.

Lonzo Ball would solve Mavericks' biggest problem perfectly

Around a month ago, the Mavericks were linked in trade rumors for Jrue Holiday of the Boston Celtics. As of Monday night, that's no longer a possibility, as Holiday was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Mavericks have also shown interest in a more attainable target in Lonzo Ball.

Ball recently agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Bulls this past February and is on a very team-friendly deal, as he is making $10 million per season.

It's quite obvious the Mavericks have a glaring hole in their roster as of night with guard depth, especially with Kyrie Irving most likely missing more than half of the 2025-26 season due to an ACL injury.

It's no secret Ball has dealt with a significant amount of injuries in his professional career, but with his trade value ultimately not being too high right now, it might be the right risk for the Mavericks to take to shore up their guard depth.

Ball, at 27 years old, has played in 287 NBA games and has averaged 11.4 points, 5.8 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 36.2 percent from three on 6.4 attempts per game.

By no means are Ball and Caruso similar players, but they can provide similar impacts. Ball is someone that the Mavericks could plug into the starting lineup while Irving is recovering from injury, put on the bench once Irving is back, and also share the court with Irving once healthy. He would provide everything that the Mavericks need, and his leadership, combined with his on-court impact, should have Nico Harrison eyeing him.

Not only can Ball facilitate, but he's a very solid point-of-attack defender the Mavericks could utilize when playing these stacked offensive teams in the Western Conference. You can never have too many two-way players on your roster, and Ball's game would fit the Mavericks' needs beautifully on both ends of the floor.

The Mavericks recently extended Daniel Gafford to a new three-year, $54 million deal that allows him to still stay trade-eligible. Gafford could be a potential trade candidate if both sides wanted to make this deal happen, but time will tell.