Mavericks Need Shooting; Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith Possibly On The Move?
The Mavericks have not won a playoff series since they went on to win their only championship in 2011 and they are very eager to end this drought. Luka Doncic has been one of the best players in the league once again this season, when he has been on the court at least, and the Mavericks are a top defensive team in the league, but their offense has struggled mightily this year.
As a team, the Mavericks rank just 21st in offensive rating and a large reason why they have not been successful on offense is because of their lack of three-point shooting.
Reggie Bullock and Sterling Brown were both two key offseason signings for this team to try and regain some perimeter shooting that they lost when Seth Curry was traded to the 76ers in 2020, but Bullock is shooting just 31.9% from three-point range this season and Brown is shooting just 34.2% from deep.
Keeping Tim Hardaway Jr. on a four-year, $75M deal sounded good at the time for the Mavericks this past offseason, but even he has struggled from deep this season at 33.6% and now he could very well miss the rest of the season due to a fracture of the fifth metatarsal on his left foot.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Players Most Likely To Be Moved At NBA Trade Deadline
The Mavericks are currently being aggressive on the trade market right now, searching for answers on how to try and replace the lost production on offense from Hardaway’s injury.
Adding another facilitator and scoring weapon next to Luka Doncic has always been a goal of the Mavericks dating back to last season and their interest in this type of player has not gone away. Jerami Grant is a name that has come up from time-to-time this season in Dallas, but trade talks between the Mavericks and Pistons have not gone anywhere recently.
John Collins is also another name that has been mentioned as a possible trade target for the Mavericks dating back to last season, but there has been no word out of Atlanta if they are truly willing to move on from the young forward after signing him to a five-year, $125M deal this past offseason.
It is practical to believe that the Dallas Mavericks are turning their attention to adding more perimeter shooting depth and Buddy Hield is a key name to watch. The Kings are open to moving Hield ahead of the deadline this season and while his contract would tie the Mavericks down financially, he is the perimeter threat they have been searching for.
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Potential moves the Mavericks make will have a direct impact on the futures of Jalen Brunson and Dorian Finney-Smith with this franchise as well. Both Brunson and Finney-Smith are in the final years of their respective contracts and both players are receiving trade interest around the league.
If Dallas is truly “all-in” on Jerami Grant, a trade package of Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith, a salary-filler and a draft pick could potentially get the deal done, especially since Brunson has a lot of admirers in Detroit, that according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
Not trying to lose value by either Brunson or Finney-Smith signing elsewhere in the offseason, the Mavericks could very well take this opportunity at the trade deadline to trade both players for another high-level talent.
