Getty Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.
There’s been plenty of speculation on how the Dallas Mavericks will look to rework their roster around Luka Doncic and (hopefully) Kyrie Irving this summer. During the second half of this season, the star duo didn’t have the supporting cast to play winning basketball and it showed. Dallas wound up finishing outside of the top-10 in the Western Conference, landing them in the NBA Draft Lottery.
Of course, the lottery is a pivotal day when it comes to the offseason plans of many teams. Assuming that the Mavericks don’t wind up with the No. 1 overall pick, as they have just a 3% chance to land it, then they’ll have to get creative when shifting their roster.
“Bleacher Report’s” Zach Buckley drew up some creative trade proposals involving “disappointing starters” around the league. Amongst them was a deal sending Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert to the Dallas.
The full proposal is as follows:
Dallas Mavericks receive: Rudy Gobert
Minnesota Timberwolves receive: Tim Hardaway Jr., Dāvis Bertāns and 2027 first-round pick (top-three-protected)
Buckley then went on to pitch the deal to each side, explaining that the Mavs are running out of options when it comes to bringing talent in.
“The Mavericks, meanwhile, are running low on options to construct a contender around Luka Doncic,” he wrote in an article published on April 19. “They could be desperate enough to take a flier on Gobert, especially if the cost is one rotation player and a single future first. Dallas will need defensive protection if it brings back Kyrie Irving, and Gobert could feast on easy scoring chances created by Doncic and Irving.”
Buckley also sold the trade to Minnesota, as it not only benefits them from the standpoint of receiving assets, but also unloading the massive contract of the “disappointing” ex Defensive Player of the Year.
“Now, there’s a good chance Minnesota wants to give this group more time or simply thinks it can’t make a move now with all the damage Gobert has done to his trade value. Still, the Wolves could cut their losses, get out from underneath his colossal contract and hope to see some addition by subtraction. As for the actual additions in this deal, the first-round pick is the obvious prize, but Tim Hardaway Jr. is at least playable as a shooting specialist. Dāvis Bertāns theoretically fits the same role, but his defense is so atrocious that he would be in this deal strictly for money-matching purposes.”
Rudy Gobert Fits Mavs’ Nico Harrison’s Offseason Plans
Gobert’s two main strengths, defense and rebounding, are exactly what Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison is looking to add this summer. He told reporters so during his exit interview earlier this month.
“I think for us going into the offseason, the two biggest things that we need to work on is defense and rebounding,” Harrison said via the Dallas Mavericks official YouTube channel. “That’s going to be addressed.”
Mavs’ Nico Harrison ‘Optimistic’ on New Kyrie Irving Contract
Harrison also shared that he’s feeling “optimistic” that the Mavs can achieve their main offseason goal, retaining Irving, whose contract expires this summer.
“I think the things he said along the way about how he feels here, how he feels appreciated, how he feels accepted, and allowed to be himself. I think those are the things he’s said kind of consistently, and that gives me the optimism that he wants to be here,” Harrison explained.