Why This Trade Works For The Dallas Mavericks
As previously stated, Luka Doncic might be able to drag the Mavericks to a championship by himself, but there’s plenty of reasoning behind pairing him with Ben Simmons. Adding the 6’10” positionless two-way would drastically increase the Mavs’ title chances while also helping to ensure that Luka has a long, healthy future in Dallas.
On offense, Simmons could act as a screener, springing Luka free for his trademark, well-cadenced drives and rolling to the rim for easy dunks. It’s been highly theorized that Simmons’ best role moving forward may be as a short-roll playmaker a la Draymond Green.
Playing with Doncic in Dallas forces Ben into that role as it’s clear that the Mavericks will be best off with the ball in Luka’s hands. Simmons can still show off his elite playmaking by acting as a release valve in the pick-and-roll, capable of making opponents pay for trapping Luka off of screens as Simmons can either roll to the rim and finish himself or find an open shooter off of a four-on-three offensive advantage.
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This trade also ensures that the Mavericks will have another elite ball-handler and playmaker, regardless of what happens with Jalen Brunson moving forward. Head coach Jason Kidd can stagger Simmons and Doncic’s minutes to keep a high-level offensive maestro on the floor at all times.
On defense, Simmons can handle the toughest matchup regardless of who the opponent may be. Aside from maybe former teammate Joel Embiid, Simmons has the size, athleticism, and defensive chops to guard any player in the league, from Stephen Curry to Nikola Jokic. When he’s not shutting down an opposing star one-on-one, he can be deployed as a “Legion-of-Boom-level” free safety — a roamer who can erase shots from the weakside or spring into passing lanes to generate turnovers.
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This deal gives Dallas and Luka Doncic a level of versatility and top-tier talent required to compete for championships year-in and year-out. It should also lower Doncic’s usage rating and keep him fresh for long postseason runs for the foreseeable future.
