7 NBA dream trade deadline targets (and what they'd cost)

2) Luka Doncic

The Dallas Mavericks have mostly lived up to expectations this season thanks to superlative play by superstar Luka Doncic and strong play by Kyrie Irving. Despite that, as recently as last April, the Mavericks reportedly feared that Luka would demand a trade, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon

A lot has changed since that report, with the Mavericks remaining competitive in a brutal Western Conference, and while they might not be the team to beat, they have two explosive scorers capable of beating any team in a seven-game series. Perhaps he gave the Mavericks front office the impression that he was unhappy to keep them motivated to improve the team, which they have done a good job of late.

Or perhaps he just wants to play in a bigger market and another disappointing end to the season might reignite those concerns. If that's the case, then Doncic would immediately become the biggest player to demand a trade in years, with other teams willing to trade whatever it takes to land one of the five best players in the NBA.

Of course, only a handful of teams could have the assets needed to pry him away from Dallas were he to demand a trade and, ironically, it probably won't be a big market team. Speaking of assets, with Doncic under contract for two guaranteed seasons after this year, the Mavericks could command at least five first-round picks for their best player. There are only a few teams that could meet that asking price but Dallas won't even consider trading him unless he first asks for one.