How The Dallas Mavericks Could Shock The World And Trade For A Star

The Dallas Mavericks don’t want to tank, and they might be able to avoid a prolonged rebuild by trading for a star player.

The Dallas Mavericks are one of the worst teams in the NBA this season. With a record of 7-21, the Mavericks are tied with the Brooklyn Nets for the second-worst record in the NBA.

The good news is, unlike the Nets, the Mavericks have their first-round pick this season.

The Mavs actually have all of their picks–they owe heavily protected second-round picks to the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks, but unless they finish top-five in the NBA in 2018 or 2019, they’ll keep those picks.

Believe it or not, the Mavericks have a few nice assets. Their first-round pick in 2017 tops the list. The 2017 NBA Draft is a fantastic-looking draft so far, with names like Markelle Fultz and Malik Monk exciting fans of bad NBA teams already.

Related Story: 25 Best Players to Play for the Dallas Mavericks

Dallas could win the lottery, and will almost certainly possess a top-four pick in the upcoming draft. The value of such a pick is massive. The Mavericks also can trade away future firsts, which are less valuable but still hold some worth.

Andrew Bogut is another trade chip here. It’s been reported that Bogut is worth a first-rounder to some teams. He’s currently hurt, but if he can get healthy and productive again by February the Mavs would be smart to deal him.

Imagine some contender-ish team bites on the big Australian and sends Dallas a first in 2017 for him. Even if it’s a pick that ends up in the 20s, that’s two firsts in 2017, a pick swap in 2018 and another unprotected first in 2019 the Mavs have at their disposal.

That’s not to mention some fun younger players who have done well this season. Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell and Seth Curry aren’t grade-A prospects, but they’re all in their mid-20s and they’ve all been productive in Dallas.

Those assets are more than enough to wrangle a star player away from a struggling team.

Carmelo Anthony was worth the New York Knicks‘ 2014 first-round pick, two second-round picks (did I mention the Mavericks have an unprotected second-round pick coming in 2019 from the Warriors? They do!), Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and Timofey Mozgov.

Kevin Love was an All-NBA second teamer with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who accepted Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett for him. It’s not as hard to trade for a star as one would think, as long as said star is no longer fitting on their team.

DeMarcus Cousins, if you haven’t heard, has not been the happiest camper this season. After confronting a reporter last week, Boogie spit a mouthguard at the Portland Trail Blazers bench and then got ejected and subsequently un-ejected on Tuesday night.

The Sacramento Kings are 11-17, just four games ahead of the Mavericks. They’re probably not going to the playoffs this season. They could trade Boogie to Dallas and get two great picks in the upcoming draft though, given that they get to keep their own.

More from Hoops Habit

• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
• NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers

John Wall also hasn’t had a great time this year. The Washington Wizards have been switching from god-awful to mediocre and back again all year, and they’re currently 12-15. Wall is on a super team-friendly deal, and would likely be worth a ton on the trade market.

Luckily for the Mavericks, they have a ton of stuff to give. Mark Cuban owns the Mavericks, and he doesn’t seem particularly fond of the idea of a long rebuild. He could attempt to kickstart matters–and get his Mavs back in NBA relevance again–if Dallas could trade for a star with their great pick.

In a perfect world, the Mavericks acquire either Boogie or Wall and then add a third cog in free agency to join them and Harrison Barnes. Barnes has been good this year–not good enough to stop the Mavericks from being awful, but good nonetheless.

Next: 25 Greatest Rookie Seasons Of All-Time

There’s no guarantee any stars get moved, but if one does expect Dallas to be in the conversation. They’ve got the juice to make a deal, if the right one presents itself.