The Dallas Mavericks have been the talk of the NBA for months after the shocking trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the injury issues for Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, and of course, most recently, the franchise landing the top pick in June’s NBA draft.
The Mavericks have a core heading into next season that features Davis, Irving (once he returns from his torn ACL), and presumably generational prospect Cooper Flagg out of Duke that the Mavericks are expected to select with the first pick in the draft.
If Flagg is as good as advertised, and Davis and Irving are healthy, the Mavericks should have a core that is capable of contending in a loaded Western Conference. Given the good fortune of Dallas’ night at the draft lottery, the time is now for much-maligned general manager Nico Harrison to be aggressive, which is something that NBA insider Marc Stein expects him to be.
“League sources say Dallas is expected to at least explore whether there are any feasible trade pathways to Boston’s Jrue Holiday – complicated as that would be given the three years and $104 million still left on Holiday’s contract – while also maintaining an interest in a far more reasonable trade target discussed on the DLLS Mavs podcast: Lonzo Ball. …Another name to monitor for Dallas: Chris Paul. The free-agent-to-be just turned 40 on May 6, but Paul also just played (and started) 82 games in his maiden season as a San Antonio Spur,” Stein wrote.
Holiday is likely to give Dallas the most upside despite his age, given his durability and production as he enters his mid-30s. Holiday didn’t have a great season for Boston in his second year with the team, but is still a reliable player when healthy. His contract could make things difficult though, as Stein noted.
Lonzo Ball returned from multiple missed seasons due to a knee injury and showed he can still play at the NBA level, but the injury concerns are real there. Paul, or course, is the oldest of the three and well past his prime – but the future Hall-of-Famer is still incredibly productive in the twilight of his career.
