Dallas Mavericks
1 Problem: Find depth to help on the injury front
As we inch closer to the midway point of the season, it may not be too early to start panicking about the state of the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas is right in the thick of the Western Conference standings but injuries are truly beginning to take a toll on the team. Luka Doncic (calf) is expected to miss a few weeks (at least) and Kyrie Irving is also currently sidelined due to a back injury. Heading into the trade deadline, it would make sense for Dallas to try and add some more depth as the team continues to navigate the regular season waters.
Depending on how the next few weeks go, as the Mavs operate short-handed, there's a very realistic chance this team could be in a dogfight to work themselves out of the danger of falling into the race for one of the Play-In Tournament spots. Considering how this season ended last year and the upgrade they made during the offseason, that would be viewed as a major step back for the team. At the trade deadline, the Mavs could go a long way in bolstering their chances of avoiding that by adding some key depth.
Denver Nuggets
1 Problem: Make a decision on the core 4
There has been a lot of talk about the supposed demise of the Denver Nuggets. Even though that hasn't exactly been reflected completely so far this season, there may be something that the front office knows about this team that we don't. The fact that the Nuggets are just three games back of the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference in the midst of trade rumors tells us just that. Something has to be off with the way that Michael Porter Jr.'s name has popped up in the rumor mill so far this season.
Maybe the front office doesn't anticipate them being in a position where they can compete with the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder atop the West standings. Either way, something is fishy in Denver and as the NBA Trade Deadline quickly draws near, they must figure out what the plan is going to be for the team moving forward. Whether the Nuggets are willing to admit it or not, making a decision on the future of their core four is of the utmost importance for the team heading into the NBA Trade Deadline.