Buying or Selling Latest Mavericks Trade Rumors

The NBA is two and a half weeks from the trade deadline on February 6th, and it's been a quiet market to this point. The Phoenix Suns dealt for Nick Richards to give them a legitimate center, but outside of a trade demand by Jimmy Butler, not much has happened. That hasn't stopped the Dallas Mavericks from being at the center of trade rumors.

We'll discuss the latest potential targets and rumors, deciding whether they're believable or not.

BUY: The Mavericks Are Dangling Daniel Gafford in Potential Trades

Mavericks fans were surprised when Christian Clark of The Athletic reported that the Mavericks have been willing to offer Daniel Gafford in a trade for a defensive-minded wing, especially considering Gafford's role in last year's Western Conference Championship.

Dereck Lively II is the Mavericks' starting center when he's healthy and not in foul trouble, but it's worth having a quality backup for those concerns. But Gafford is making a little over $13 million this season and is likely viewed as a much more valuable asset than Maxi Kleber.

This isn't to say that Gafford will be gone in any trade, but for the right piece, I believe he could be moved if the Mavs have a deal set up to bring in a center from somewhere else. They saw that having a quality center rotation really matters, but Gafford hasn't played as well this season as he did last year.

SELL: A Star Looking to Come to Dallas

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler is looking for a trade out of Miami, initially listing the Mavericks as a destination he'd go to, but he's since expanded his options. This trade has never made much sense for Dallas, though.

Butler is making nearly $49 million this season, meaning the Mavericks would have to give up 3-4 quality rotation pieces for a 35-year-old who is often injured and could opt out of his contract this summer. Dallas has won with its carefully crafted depth around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving; there's no reason to break it up for Jimmy Butler.

BUY: Looking to Add a Bench Scoring Punch

Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported that the Mavericks have expressed interest in former Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson from the Utah Jazz. Because Dallas has dealt with injuries to their two leading stars, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, we've seen what little offensive creation the team has when they're out. Jaden Hardy and Spencer Dinwiddie are too sporadic, and they'd likely prefer not to lean on them come the postseason.

Clarkson is averaging 16 PPG at 32 years old on a tanking team. The Jazz would be smart to get something out of them while they still can, while Clarkson would probably like to be on a team that's trying, even if he may not get as many shots as he's become accustomed to.