After having one of the best free agency periods of any team in the NBA, the Dallas Mavericks are looking to make one more move to cap an impressive offseason. The Mavericks have been looking to revamp their center rotation and have made some moves to do so. This includes drafting Derek Lively II, trading for Richaun Holmes, not re-signing Christian Wood, and looking to move JaVale McGee.
Even then, Dallas will need a starting center for next season and could turn to their division rival, the New Orleans Pelicans, for help. The Pelicans have been shopping their starting center, Jonas Valanciunas, and the Mavericks might be interested. Valanciunas is a productive and bruising player who puts up big numbers and can knock down open threes.
However, he is on an expiring contract, and the Pelicans may not want to re-sign him to a multi-year deal given that he’s 31. On the other hand, he could make sense for the Mavericks as a stop-gap option, but what would a potential deal between the Pelicans and Mavericks look like? Let’s take a look.
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With limited trade options, the two most likely trade candidates for Dallas are McGee and Holmes, and moving both players for Valanciunas works financially. Holmes does have an extra year on his contract, which may not appeal to the Pelicans. However, they would receive a 2026 first-round pick swap from Dallas as well as a potentially good second-rounder from Toronto for the cost of adding Holmes’ $12 million salary to their books for the 2024–25 season.
With Valanciunas and Larry Nance Jr. as the only centers on the Pelicans’ roster, any trade involving Valanciunas would likely need to bring back another center. McGee may be a low-end starter, but he is still capable of blocking shots and catching lobs.
For the Mavericks, they clearly want an athletic five to add a vertical spacing threat for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. But perhaps McGee and Holmes aren’t the players that they had in mind. Part of the reason they acquired Holmes from the Kings was because they were able to acquire another first-round pick in this year’s draft.
Therefore, moving him in exchange for Valancinuas wouldn’t be a bad option for the Mavericks, even if it costs them a pick swap and possibly a good second-rounder. With the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement punishing teams that overspend, the Mavericks have to be careful that they don’t go over the second luxury tax apron. Trading $12 million in salary for the 2024–25 season would give them more space to operate, even if it meant that they let Valancinuas leave after one season.
Still, he would provide on-court value to the Mavericks as a rebounder, an interior scorer, and a big who can knock down threes. He does struggle to defend in the pick and roll, but he has the length and size to challenge shots at the rim and defend in the post.
All in all, a potential trade between division rivals, the Mavericks, and Pelicans, may make sense for both teams. But, with each team looking to move their starting center, there’s no guarantee that the two teams will be trading partners.