Thunder's 'most likely' trade candidates should have the Mavericks' attention

The Dallas Mavericks need to retool around Cooper Flagg if they want any chance at having a bounce-back season, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are the first team that Masai Ujiri should be calling this summer. OKC has a complicated cap situation they need to figure out (along with plenty of future and current first-round picks), and to avoid the second apron and its restrictions, some trades will need to be made.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported that Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins are "the most likely candidates to be moved in a trade to rebalance the roster," and Dallas should definitely take advantage of this. The Thunder clearly don't need Joe and Wiggins as much as they once did, with the two players combining for three DNP-CDs in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Neither player played during Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.

Why Dallas should target Wiggins and Joe

Despite having significantly reduced roles during the playoffs and not touching the floor in the most important game of the season, both Joe and Wiggins can still provide great value for a team like Dallas. Wiggins averaged 9.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and a career-high 0.9 steals per game in his fifth season for OKC, and his ability to score at all three levels would be a welcome sight for the Mavericks.

Dallas had the No. 27-ranked offense in the NBA last season, and any level of scoring would be nice. Flagg and Kyrie Irving can't be expected to do everything on their own, and another wing who can score off the dribble or off the catch would make sense for a team that desperately needed more offensive firepower and creation.

Joe isn't as complete an offensive player as Wiggins, but his shooting is too strong to overlook. He put up a career-high 11.1 points per game while shooting a career-high 42.3 percent from long range last season. He was one of the best volume shooters in the NBA, and the Mavericks need more 3-point shooting badly. Joe is deadly off the catch, and sometimes off the dribble, and Dallas' floor spacing would improve right away.

Despite Joe being one of the most underrated shooters in the league, with the skill on Mark Daigneault's roster, his minutes are routinely cut during the playoffs. This has to be frustrating for a competitor like Joe, and the Mavs would provide him with a fresh start, and likely more minutes.

The Mavericks can help relieve the Thunder's roster crunch

With Joe and Wiggins becoming back-of-the-rotation guys in the playoffs, it's easy to see why they're likely to be on the chopping block this summer. Joe is set to make $11.3 million over each of the next two seasons (OKC has a team option for the 2027-28 season) while Wiggins is under contract through the 2028-29 season (Thunder have a team option for the final year of his deal).

Future financial flexibility is the name of the game to be a year-over-year contender in the NBA, and if the Thunder want to keep Lu Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein deep into the future while doing their best to stay away from the second apron, trading Joe and Wiggins is the clearest path to do so. The two players will combine to make over $20 million next season, and for two players whom Daigneault benched in their most recent game, this is far too steep a price tag that can no longer be justified.

What kind of trades could the Mavs and Thunder make?

For Dallas, a deal for one of Wiggins or Joe makes perfect sense if they can acquire some additional draft capital. The Thunder are looking to move up in the draft. What if OKC offers Dallas picks 12 and 17, along with Wiggins, to move up to No. 9? The Thunder need to consolidate some of their draft picks and may look to get rid of Joe and Wiggins in the process, and the Mavs need more than one young piece to add to their core. This could be a possibility that they have a hard time passing up.

The Mavericks need multiple pieces to start their rebuild with a bang, and the Thunder are a logical trade partner. They could be looking to make some moves around the edges after losing to the Spurs in seven games, and the Mavericks could allow them an avenue to offload Wiggins and/or Joe with the potential of striking up a deal with someone like P.J. Washington.

The Mavericks have valuable veterans, and the Thunder have a surplus of draft capital along with two quality role players who fell out of the playoff rotation. Such a trade would be a win-win for both sides, and Dallas should be seriously considering both players, with the possibility of adding draft picks as well, as they explore ways to improve their roster.

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