Getty Christian Wood boxes out Kristaps Porzingis of the Dallas Mavericks
The NBA trade deadline is just over two weeks away. When Feb. 10 comes around, teams around the league will have their last chance at making moves to improve their roster.
For the Dallas Mavericks, this means bolstering the team one final time before closing out the season and potentially making a splash in the playoffs. Following two-straight exits in the first round, the Mavs would like to take a step forward this postseason.
Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report recently released a list of trade targets that make sense for each NBA team. This included three interesting candidates for Dallas.
Whether it’s facilitation, shooting, or forward depth that the Mavs desire at the deadline, this list of targets checks all of the boxes for Dallas.
The Proposed Targets
For Dallas, B/R pinned Houston Rockets forward Christian Wood as the dream target. This category is defined as the best (somewhat attainable) player the team should go after. Even if it’s a quick conversation, a phone call should be made.
Next, the Mavericks were linked to Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield as their realistic target. This means B/R considers him the player every team will likely settle for if their dream target isn’t available. There’s a real chance this player is on the market and acquirable.
Buddy Hield score 27 points Highlights vs Houston Rockets! January 16, 2022
Finally, Dallas was listed as a potential suitor for New York Knicks guard Kemba Walker as a sneaky target. This mens he’s not the first player you’d think of nor a household name, but one that fills a need or could be on the list if the price is right.
Do any of these players make sense for the Mavs? What would it take to acquire them?
The Fits
For starters, each of these proposed targets brings something different to the table.
Wood is a versatile big that can play either the forward or center spot. These are positions the Mavericks have a ton of depth at, but he would still be a major upgrade on offense.
To this point in the season on the rebuilding Rockets, Wood has produced 17.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per contest while shooting 36.5% from beyond the arc. He’d be the perfect piece next to Kristaps Porzingis in the frontcourt, but likely has the largest price tag on the trade market of any of the proposed names.
Hield would instantly make the Mavs a better 3-point shooting team, but is that really what they need? With Tim Hardaway Jr. and Reggie Bullock already on the roster, it seems Hield would be a bit redundant.
Regardless, if the Mavericks feel they need more shooting he’s probably the best option on the market. A guy that’s been in trade rumors for years now, Hield has averaged 15.1 points in 29.1 minutes per game this season while knocking down 38.1% of his 9.1 3-point attempts per contest.
Finally, Walker is a guy that would be the most risky for the Mavs. While he might have the most potential upside for the team due to his experience and explosiveness as a scorer and passer, he’s also got the most downside.
GettyNew York Knicks guard Kemba Walker reacts during a game against the Detroit Pistons.
A roster that’s already proven to be often injured this season, Dallas should be cautious in considering the pursuit of a guy like Walker. As good as he is, lingering injuries have kept him out of key moments over the last few seasons. In fact, he hasn’t played in 60 games since the 2018-19 season. This season, he’s averaged 13.5 points and 3.6 assists per game.
With how well the Mavericks are currently playing, it might not make sense to shake things up too much at the deadline. Their recent stretch of wins is no joke, as the team is finally starting to mesh under new coach Jason Kidd.