One prediction for every NBA team at the NBA Trade Deadline

Dallas Mavericks – Hold

Your level of disappointment with the Dallas Mavericks season to this extent is likely tied to the expectations you had for them coming into the season. If you expected them to come out of the gates as one of the best teams in the league and Luka Doncic would cement his case as an MVP frontrunner then the first half of the season has been rough.

The truth of the matter is that was an unfair expectation from the outside, especially given the rash of injuries and health protocol issues. Regardless, something needs to be fixed with the roster. The overall talent level is not quite what it was a year ago and the team is struggling in part because of it. The prediction is as simple as this team will be active on the buyout market, not the trade deadline.

A few weeks ago Victor Oladipo would have been a reasonable target but now the Houston Rockets feel like they have built an identity around their team of guys with chips on their shoulders. Finding the fit is no easy task. Because they do not have the ability to trade any first-round picks the most likely outcome for Dallas is to wait for the buyout market to take shape and try to add around the fringes. Doncic brings plenty to the table and if the team can get healthy they should be able to compete with anyone.