The Dallas Mavericks have the look of a team that will make some sort of move ahead of the NBA trade deadline on February 9th. For the first time in his career, Luka Doncic is flexing some of his muscle as the franchise star. He has urged the front office to make an upgrade to the roster in the next two weeks.
Owner Mark Cuban has denied that report, saying Doncic has done no such thing and has never asked or demanded a move to be made. Regardless of the validity of the report of Doncic’s involvement in player personnel, the point still remains; Dallas needs to make some upgrades.
The team could still use some help in the backcourt where Doncic and Spencer Dinwiddie remain as the only reliable ball handlers on the roster. So, it should be no surprise that the Mavericks have been linked to point guards.
One of the players who Dallas could look to acquire is Fred VanVleet from the Toronto Raptors. However, if the Raptors do make him available, he is expected to have a robust market with at least seven other teams interested according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
Either the Raptors and VanVleet will extend their marriage, or the team will look to get value for him in a trade before the deadline. If it’s the latter, several playoff contenders (at least teams that consider themselves playoff contenders) would have interest, such as the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards. So, too, would the Orlando Magic, per multiple NBA sources.
VanVleet would be a huge upgrade to the Mavericks’ backcourt rotation. Jalen Brunson’s departure in free agency was a major blow to the team, one they have yet to recover. Bringing VanVleet on would help fill that void, giving Dallas a nice three-man backcourt rotation.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Dallas Mavericks, Fred VanVleet & D’Angelo Russell Updates
His skill set would mesh well with Doncic. VanVleet has been a very good 3-point shooter throughout his career, knocking down 37.6 percent of his attempts. His percentage is down this season to a career-low 34.1 percent, but that number would likely climb back up alongside Doncic.
Another player to keep an eye on for the Mavericks is D’Angelo Russell of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Playing on a massive expiring contract, there are a number of teams that will show interest in Russell not only for what he brings to the court but the salary relief he could provide. Pincus also provided the update for Russell.
If Minnesota goes in a different direction by the deadline, it would need to fill Russell’s 32.5 minutes a game. It’s unclear where he might land, though teams mentioned as possibilities by various NBA sources included the Heat, Suns, Mavericks and Clippers.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Dallas Mavericks, Fred VanVleet & D’Angelo Russell Updates
Russell would bring more size to the backcourt than VanVleet would, providing Jason Kidd with a little more versatility when it came to lineup construction. The Ohio State veteran is in the midst of the best shooting season of his career and Minnesota could look to strike with his value as high as it is.
