Mavs Trade Deadline Primer: Players Dallas Should Pursue; Weighing Risk vs. Reward

Originally posted on FanNation Dallas Basketball
By Dalton Trigg | Last updated 1/30/24

The NBA trade deadline is a little more than one week away, and rumors should be picking up steam in the coming days and front offices continue to bounce offers off of each other.

Sitting at 26-21, which is currently good enough for seventh-place in the Western Conference standings, the Dallas Mavericks have some work to do before they can be considered true title contenders despite Luka Doncic playing at an MVP level.

"This young man is 24 and is breaking all the records that stand in front of him, and he's a winner," Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said of Doncic on Tuesday. "His ultimate goal is to win a championship, and he will get there, not just win one, but he will win multiple when it's all said and done."

For that to happen, though, the Mavs will have to add a few more upgraded pieces around him either via trade before the Feb. 8 deadline or in free agency over the summer. On the latest episode of the Mavs Step Back Podcast, we discuss several different forwards and centers the Mavs have been linked to in trade rumors over the last several weeks, including Kyle Kuzma, P.J. Washington, Andrew Wiggins, Dorian Finney-Smith, Miles Bridges and others.

Should the Mavs' 2027 first-round pick be viewed as being more valuable than other teams' picks given the uncertainty surrounding Doncic's potential 2026 free agency? Are there any package deals available right now that would make parting with that 2027 first-round pick worthwhile? When it comes to Bridges, specifically, is the risk worth the potential reward?

We cover all those topics and much more in the episode below. As always, thanks for listening, and be sure to hit the "SUBSCRIBE" button. Leave us some likes and comments as well – we want to hear your takes!