Feb 28, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett (9) controls the ball as Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) tries to defend during the third quarter at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Mavericks connected with $107 million Raptors star in trade proposal

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated May 10, 2025 11:28 AM ET

The Dallas Mavericks had their season end prematurely in the Play-In Tournament at the hand of the Memphis Grizzlies. It was a year marred by bad trades, such as the Luka Doncic and Quentin Grimes trades, and an insane amount of injuries.

There is still a lot of belief that this team could compete for a championship when healthy, but that "when" is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Kyrie Irving tore his ACL in March, and while the team is optimistic he could return in January, that's still a long way away, and he probably won't be 100% by then.

With Irving out for the foreseeable future and Klay Thompson and Anthony Davis only getting older, the Mavericks could use a younger scoring punch.

That's why Spencer See of ClutchPoints projected a wild trade for the Mavs. He's sending Dereck Lively II, Klay Thompson, Caleb Martin, and Dwight Powell to the Toronto Raptors for RJ Barrett, Ochai Agbaji, and Jamal Shead.

It's hard to see the Mavericks seriously considering this trade. They're not going to give up on Dereck Lively II for a player like RJ Barrett. No disrespect to Barrett, but it's hard to see him being an anchor on a championship team like Lively could do with a championship defense. Lively was incredible in Dallas' run to the NBA Finals in 2024, giving fans hope that he could be an elite piece.

Ochai Agbaji is a former lottery pick who shot a career-high 39.9% from three this season, while Jamal Shead is an elite perimeter defender. RJ Barrett had a fine season, averaging 21.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 5.4 APG, but it's fair to wonder if his style of play leads to wins. He shot 35% from three and a paltry 63% from the free-throw line.

It's also hard to imagine the Mavericks trading Klay Thompson to Toronto, of all places, unless he asks for it. There's a certain way to do business, and sending an NBA icon to a below-average team when he specifically chose the Mavs a year ago would be a bad look as if the Luka Doncic trade wasn't a bad enough look. Dwight Powell would be a missed presence in the locker room, while I don't think a single Mavs fan would miss Caleb Martin.

This is not a trade for the Mavericks to consider, though.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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