It’s safe to assume at this point of the season that the Dallas Mavericks shot themselves in foot with the Luka Doncic trade.
Nobody knows what made Nico Harrison trade the man who carried the torch straight from Dirk Nowitzki’s hands, but the franchise and fanbase must now live with the reality that they will end the season.
Some voices have started begging the Mavericks to call it quits this season and focus on retooling for the future. The need to tank became all the more apparent after losing Kyrie Irving to a season-ending ACL tear that might keep him out for most of next season.
Rumors of possible offseason trades haven’t stopped for Dallas, as another analyst urged them to deal with their favorite trade partners and convince them to part with one of their most prized assets.
Analyst thinks the Dallas Mavericks should trade for Austin Reaves
Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz wrote about potential trade moves every team in the association should do to strengthen their rosters and improve their chances of winning the Larry O’Brien trophy.
While the idea of trading with the Lakers is enough stimulus to trigger traumatic memories for some Mavs fans, Swartz believes that trading for Ausin Reaves can completely retool the Mavs in the right direction:
Mavericks fans may start to twitch when seeing the Lakers as a trade partner, and understandably so. This deal would actually work out in their favor, however, giving Dallas some much-needed offensive creation now with Luka Dončić gone.
Reaves is having the best season of his career (19.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists 1.1 steals per game) and would help take playmaking pressure off of Kyrie Irving, who’s now likely to miss the beginning of 2025-26 following a torn ACL. A starting five of Irving, Reaves, Naji Marshall, Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II would be younger, more athletic and carry more offensive pop.
It’s unlikely that the Lakers will let Reaves go to the Mavs to get them back on track. If the Purple and Gold play their cards right, they will have the two stars who can carry the Lakers to multiple championships in the next decade.
However, the allure of a useful center may be too much for Rob Pelinka to ignore. The Mavs have a treasure trove of superb bigs, and getting Gafford may be enough to convince the Lakers front office to let AR15 leave.
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