Mavericks Proposal Sends Away Blossoming Scorer in Trade for All-Defensive Guard

Getty Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso was floated as a Dallas Mavericks trade target.

So far, so good for the Dallas Mavericks this summer. Nico Harrison and the front office have been putting in work over the past several weeks. Dallas has been able to re-sign star guard Kyrie Irving, land 3-and-D forward Grant Williams, acquire the sharpshooting Seth Curry, and even make a splash on draft night.

In the scenario that Harrison and Co. aren’t finished just yet, Bleacher Report’s NBA Staff mocked up a trade to even further bolster their roster. In an article featuring on trade for every NBA team, Grant Hughes proposed a deal that would send Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso to Dallas.

Dallas Mavericks receive: G Alex Caruso

Chicago Bulls receive: G Jaden Hardy, C JaVale McGee, 2025 second-round pick

Does a Mavericks-Bulls Alex Caruso Trade Make Sense?

From the perspective of both sides, this seems to be a pretty fair deal, here’s why.

In Dallas’ case, the goal is clearly to field the best possible team to help officially kick off the Irving and Luka Doncic era correctly. Last season didn’t go so well for the star duo, so the front office has done just about everything possible to prevent a repeat. The Mavericks have been able to bring help on both offense and defense, so far this offseason.

This move for Caruso would be ideal for the Mavs. The 29-year-old guard is coming off of a season where he was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive first-team. He appeared in 67 games for the Bulls last year, playing about 23.5 minutes each time. Caruso averaged 5.6 points, 2.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game, while shooting 45.5% from the field and 36.4% from beyond the arc.

His ability to defend and knock down the three at a consistent rate makes him a prime fit next to Doncic and Irving.

In Hughes’ mock scenario, the Bulls would be getting a pretty decent return for the Texas native. Hardy showed signs of real potential when he was given an opportunity in his rookie season. The 21-year-old averaged 8.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game, while shooting 43.8% from the field and 40.4% from distance.

Chicago could use some young talent, after missing out on adding any in this year’s draft. Their pick was conveyed to the Orlando Magic as part of the trade that sent Nikola Vucevic to the Windy City in 2021.

The Bulls are in a position where they should likely begin to rebuild. Their current core hasn’t been able to net them anything better than a playoff berth, and the Eastern Conference isn’t getting any weaker.

Mavs’ Jaden Hardy, Josh Green Considered to Be ‘Attractive Trade Pieces’

Hardy could be very valuable to the Bulls, but they aren’t the only team who would have interest in the budding star. According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Hardy’s name, as well as Josh Green’s typically comes up pretty early on, when the Mavs are involved in trade talks.

“The thing about Josh Green… when teams call the Mavericks and the Mavericks call teams, the names that come up very early in those conversations are Josh Green and Jaden Hardy,” MacMahon said on the July 12 edition of the “Howdy Partners” podcast. “Those are the players that other teams look at and as far as being very attractive trade pieces. Josh Green is going to have a market. The full mid-level [exception] is going to be the floor for him… So if the Mavericks don’t see him as a starting small forward, then I think it does make sense to move him in a trade because there are other franchises who do.”