Mavericks Would Acquire Four-Time All-Star in Proposed Trade

Getty Jalen Brunson #13 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket against Kemba Walker #8 of the Boston Celtics.

This offseason, the biggest story surrounding the Dallas Mavericks was the departure of Jalen Brunson. After a breakout season in 2022, the 25-year-old signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the New York Knicks.

With Brunson walking for nothing, the Mavericks have a void to fill in their backcourt next to Luka Doncic. Between the addition of Christian Wood and Tim Hardaway Jr. returning from injury, the team is confident they can replace his production.

Even if those players can replace what Brunson brought on the court, there is still a glaring weakness on the roster. Outside of Doncic, there is limited ballhandling and shot creation. One potential remedy for this is the Mavs rolling the dice on a former All-NBA guard.

As training camp slowly creeps up, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley decided to come up with one trade for each NBA team. In the case of the Mavericks, he cited a scenario in which Dallas sends Dwight Powell and a future second-round pick to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Kemba Walker.

If the Mavericks aren’t in the point guard market yet, they should be. Losing Jalen Brunson for nothing took plenty of zip out of this offense, and it isn’t exactly littered with great non-Luka Doncic options for shot-creation.

Could they help Walker recover from a rocky season? That might be asking a lot of a 32-year-old who’s had three consecutive campaigns disrupted by injuries, but assuming the rebuilding Pistons aren’t asking for much, this might be a cheap gamble worth taking.

Walker was constantly in and out of the Knicks’ rotation last season, and struggled to find any kind of rhythm. In the 37 games he played in, he averaged 11.6 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 3.5 APG.

Kemba Walker Could be Worth Taking a Chance on For Mavericks

At this point in the offseason, the Mavericks have limited options when it comes to roster upgrades. A deal like this would be a risk, but at such a low cost, makes sense for Dallas. Dwight Powell has been a focal point in the rotation, but with the additions of Christian Wood and JaVale McGee, playing time could be hard to come by.

Injuries have been a concern for Walker over the years, but he has still managed to show flashes of his All-Star self. For a brief moment last December, it looked like his career might be catching a second wind.

Walker’s best performance of the season came against the Washington Wizards when he tallied 44 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists in a losing effort. He followed that up with a triple-double in a Christmas day victory (10 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists.) In a limited role, the Mavs might be able to maximize what Walker has left in the tank.

Fans Hyping up Return of Tim Hardaway Jr.

In reality, the person the Mavericks will be relying on the most to replace Jalen Brunson is Tim Hardaway Jr. Outside of Spencer Dinwiddie, he is the most likely option to join Luka Doncic in the starting lineup.

In his last full season, Hardaway Jr. averaged close to 17 points per game while shooting 39.1% from three on high volume. With his return right around the corner, fans are already hyping up a comeback season for the 30-year-old.