Why The Dallas Mavericks Do The Deal 

Frankly, it’s been a rough offseason for the Mavericks.

Firstly, the Cavs lost Jalen Brunson in free agency. Without having a replacement on deck for him, they’ll be short their next-best playmaker behind Doncic. That increased defensive attention isn’t likely to make life easier on the Slovenian sensation. 

Of course, the Mavericks did add Christian Wood. He may be their second-best offensive option next year. Unfortunately, while Wood is a dynamic offensive big, he’s a known defensive liability as well. 

Landing Duarte doesn’t solve any of those issues. Still, he provides the Mavericks with some much-needed depth. Moreover, as a strong floor spacer, he’ll serve as an ideal complement to Doncic. 

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Chris Duarte, Indiana Pacers & Dallas Mavericks Updates

Functionally, the Mavericks will miss Brunson next year. However, there is hope that, in the aggregate, losing Brunson and Green and replacing them with Wood and Duarte could end up looking like a net neural offseason. If that means passing on Green’s potential, so be it.