The Dallas Mavericks have been a mess for two years straight. But somehow, they keep finding ways to stay interesting.
Two seasons ago, this team was in the NBA Finals. Then Kyrie Irving tore his ACL, the front office made a series of head-scratching moves, and the whole thing unraveled. They missed the playoffs again this year. The one bright spot? Cooper Flagg lived up to the No. 1 pick hype and gave Dallas a reason to believe the rebuild might not take forever.
Now there is a new chapter. Dusty May left Michigan after winning a national title to take the Mavericks’ head coaching job. A lot of people thought that was never going to happen. It did. And just hours after May was hired, Dallas used the No. 9 pick on Morez Johnson Jr., his former center at Michigan. That pick made sense the second it happened.
The roster will be built around Flagg. But the front office still needs to add pieces that can play right now. Free agency and trades are the only way to speed this up.
The trade that makes too much sense
There were rumors Dallas might shop Kyrie Irving, but team president Masai Ujiri shut that down quick. He likes the Irving-Flagg pairing and wants to see what it looks like healthy.
So the Mavericks need to find a different deal. One name that keeps popping up is Trey Murphy III of the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans are reportedly ready to move on from him, and Dallas has a trade chip that makes sense: PJ Washington.
Washington is beloved in Dallas. He is tough, he leads, and he has real chemistry with Flagg. But Murphy is a better scorer, a better shooter, more athletic, and probably a more versatile defender. He is also two years younger. Murphy just averaged career highs of 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting nearly 38% from three. A lot of people think he is wasting his prime in New Orleans. A move to Dallas would give him a real chance to compete.
One free agent worth chasing
The Mavericks did not even try to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo, probably because they knew they could not match what the Bucks wanted. He ended up in Miami. But the Heat have a problem now. They might not be able to keep both Andrew Wiggins and Norman Powell in free agency.
Dallas should go after Wiggins. He had a bounce-back season in Miami after playing only 17 games the year before. He put up 15.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting a career-best 41.4% from three. He fits exactly what this team needs: another two-way player who can defend multiple positions and knock down shots.
May could use Wiggins as a sixth man or slide him into the starting lineup with Flagg moving to the two. A lineup of Daniel Gafford, Murphy, Wiggins, Flagg, and Irving would be dangerous. That group can score, defend, and space the floor.
Dallas is never going to fully move on from losing Luka Doncic. That scar is permanent. But getting back to the playoffs would at least take the edge off for a while.
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