NBA Trade Rumors: Three trade ideas that could help the Dallas Mavericks find Luka Doncic’s “robin.”
Luka Doncic is having an MVP-caliber season.
In what has been, so far, the best year of his career, he is averaging 32.9 points (first in the NBA), 8.5 rebounds, and 8.8 assists (fourth in the league) per game. He is shooting 50% from the field and 34% from three and is getting to the free throw line about 7-10 times a game.
Luka has been an unstoppable force giving opposing coaching staffs and defenders alike nightmares the night before and bewilderment during the game on how to stop the superstar from Slovenia.
There’s just one problem.
You would think that a dazzling Doncic on a Dallas Mavericks team that made the Western Conference Finals the year before would be firmly planted in the top half of a wide-open West this season.
Instead, they have an underwhelming 13-13 record and are tied for the 8th seed in the West. If the season ended today, they would have to play their way into the playoffs.
It’s been a weird year.
So, what’s wrong with the Mavericks? While the team has plenty of issues, the most pressing one is the lack of a secondary scorer.
Doncic has always had a high usage rate but he is up to a 37.5% USG this season according to StatMuse. It’s not a huge jump from last year as he had a 37.3% USG in 2021-22, but he also had the man who signed a massive contract with the New York Knicks last offseason who had been the unsung hero of the Mavs’ offense.
Jalen Brunson had a 21.9% USG last season and while Luka still got his touches, Brunson was able to do so much to alleviate some of the pressure off Luka’s back and allow him not to wear himself out the entire game. Brunson was also scary efficient, especially come playoff time.
The Mavs have tried to replicate Brunson’s production with Christian Wood, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Tim Hardaway Jr. by giving them similar usage but it simply hasn’t been the same. Wood has been spectacular when on the floor but he is too much of a liability on the defensive end to play big minutes and as we saw with Kristaps Porzingis, Luka doesn’t gel as well with a big as his No. 2. Dinwiddie and Hardaway Jr. have been fine but they’re not as consistent as Brunson was and are better as No. 3 options.
The Mavericks are in desperate need to find Luka another “Robin.” They can dwell all they want about the old one leaving the nest to become a No. 1 option of his own, but the Mavericks will not seriously contend for a championship if they can’t pair him up with another great (maybe all-star?) guard.
Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison even said as such on a local Dallas radio show.
So who are those options?
Dallas does not have a ton of cap space at the moment, but could easily clear up some space by moving on from Davis Bertan’s bad contract and (maybe?) Tim Hardaway Jr.
If they do?
They must make a move.
Let’s break down who some of those options could be.
DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls
The original entry on this list was going to be Zach LaVine but after a report came out recently that the Bulls weren’t making LaVine available for any trades, his teammate in the backcourt seemed just as good of an option.
DeRozan, at 33 years old, hasn’t seemed to have lost much of a step, evidenced by his 25.5 points per game on 50.3% from the field this season. He’s a fireball scorer and is still plenty capable of dropping 40 on any given night and would be a perfect fit alongside Luka.
He is already used to playing with another high-usage, ball-dominant player in LaVine and while it hasn’t been there for the Bulls this year, the two showed plenty of flashes last season leading Chicago to the playoffs.
DeRozan is used to getting around 15-18 shots a game and that would likely be no different with the Mavericks. He would also more than likely enjoy getting to play more off-ball and alleviate the strain on his aging body.
DeRozan knows his chances at a championship and high-level play will only last a few more years and he has to be hungry to try and contend for one again.
What better place for him than in Dallas, and getting to play with potentially the MVP?
Buddy Hield, Indiana Pacers
It seems like Buddy Hield’s name has been tossed around in trade rumors ever since he first put on a Pacers uniform after a trade from Sacramento in the 2021-22 season. With the rise of rookie Benedict Mathurin, this seems like as good a year as any for Indiana to deal him out and the Mavericks would be amiss not to pursue him.
Hield has always quietly been one of the most underrated supporting players in the league and could easily fill a Brunson-like role alongside Luka. Hield is averaging 17.2 PPG, 4.8 APG, and 2.6 RPG on 42.2% shooting this season. For comparison, Brunson averaged 16.3 PPG, 4.8 APG, and 3.9 RPG with 50.2% from the field last season alongside Doncic.
The Mavericks would essentially be getting Brunson 2.0 with Hield and the 29-year-old would be plenty comfortable as a No. 2 option, evidenced by his complementary play alongside Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, and Mathurin in Indiana.
Hield has been linked in trade rumors to the Lakers but if that deal is still up in the air, the Mavericks would be wise to swoop in and make an offer.
Terry Rozier, Charlotte Hornets
This one might seem a little out of left field but Terry Rozier is definitely someone the Mavs could pursue if the aforementioned targets don’t work out.
Rozier plays for an AWFUL Charlotte team and you have to imagine he’s anxious to get out of there. This is his fourth year on the team and with the Hornets showing no progress, the team is surely considering going full tank mode and having everyone besides LaMelo Ball available for trade.
Rozier brings a scoring balance that the Mavericks desperately need as evidenced by his 21.7 PPG. His field goal percentages aren’t as good as DeRozan and Hield as he shoots 39.6% from the field and 30.9% from three, but he’s still capable of big games.
How well he would gel with Luka is the million-dollar question, but his ability to score the basketball will trump any qualms about the acquisition. Rozier would definitely be a backup plan, but there are way worse ones for a team like the Mavs looking for scorers.