The Mavs were the winners at the deadline, but they could have done more.
Two moves made last week made the Dallas Mavericks one of the big winners at the 2024 NBA trade deadline. Mavs GM Nico Harrison has been busy, improving some of Dallas' most obvious weaknesses: interior defense and frontcourt size.
The Mavericks acquired Daniel Gafford from the Washington Wizards to strengthen their center rotation. Gafford has been phenomenal with his new team so far, averaging 15.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in just over 21 minutes per game in his first three games with the Mavs.
Dallas is in the “tall four” market, acquiring PJ Washington from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Grant Williams, Seth Curry, and a 2027 first-round pick protected by the top two. obtained. Washington hasn't been as efficient as Gafford, averaging just 8.7 points on 40.7 percent shooting so far in Dallas. But he gives the Mavericks' frontcourt more athleticism, versatility, and size on both ends of the floor.
Gafford and Washington should be important pieces for the Mavericks, who aim to advance in the postseason with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving leading the way. But despite two big acquisitions, the Mavericks feel like they could have done more at the trade deadline.
Mavericks' biggest mistake: Not upgrading their wing rotation.
The Mavericks realized their desire for a more versatile and bigger option at the power forward spot by upgrading from Grant Williams to P.J. Washington. Washington gave the Mavs a solid two-way impact with four players. As Mavericks fans have seen, his athleticism is off-the-charts and could be a great lob and dunker spot target for Doncic.
He can also put the ball on the deck and create drive opportunities from closeouts. Similarly, he's shown to be pretty reliable as a corner 3-point shooter (36.9 percent for his career), but he's been pretty bad this year at just 24.5 percent. Despite this, Washington is still in the developmental stages and it will only be a matter of time before he finds his rhythm in Dallas.
Despite their additions, the Mavericks could have used an even longer, more versatile wing upgrade who could defend and knock down shots from the perimeter.
Mavericks small forward rotation
Currently, the Mavericks are moving forward with a rotation of Josh Green, Derrick Jones Jr., and Tim Hardaway Jr. Mavs head coach Jason Kidd has done a solid job of spreading playing time between three players who bring different results to Dallas. .
Green has been starting at small forward for some time now, and he's doing well in that role. During the season, he averaged 9.0 points, shot 41.2 percent from beyond the basket, and played with tenacity and energy defensively.
Jones, on the other hand, was an undersized starting power forward in Dallas before Washington arrived and has outperformed his minimum contract this season. He averaged 10.0 points on 48.6 percent from the field this season before the trade deadline, making him the team's fourth leading scorer. Washington's addition allows him to play a more natural three position, allowing him to play against longer wings rather than a big four.
In the end, Hardaway came off the bench and became a spark plug for Dallas. He is the team's third leading scorer with 17.3 points per game behind Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
While a solid rotation, these three still have their flaws. If he can turn at least two of these players' skill sets into one, the Mavs will surely be happy. Green is still a little small to play a three-man role and may be better suited to play a guard role. Jones offers good length and athleticism, but isn't a very reliable option from beyond the arc. Hardaway is a good offensive option, but he doesn't have the defensive attributes you ideally want in a 3-and-D wing.
A team like the Los Angeles Clippers comes to mind, but Paul George and Kawhi Leonard could pose matchup problems for the Mavericks due to their length and size on the perimeter.
Wings the Mavericks could target
Former Maverick Dorian Finney-Smith is exactly the type of player the Mavericks have been looking to fill since trading him to the Brooklyn Nets for Kyrie Irving last season. As the trade deadline approached, there were rumors that Dallas wanted to reunite with Finney-Smith.
Dallas could have pursued Finney-Smith's teammate Royce O'Neal, who was acquired by the Phoenix Suns. These two would have strengthened the Mavericks' depth up front and given them reliable wings who can make an impact on both ends of the floor.
