Deadline trade gives Dallas an upgrade, but the cost has yet to be determined
The Mavericks finished the past half week 2-0 with wins over the New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder. Dallas currently sits in eighth place in the Western Conference with a 30-23 record, just one game out of fifth place. Derek Lively and Dante Exum remain the only players on the injury report. Dallas acquired PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford at the trade deadline.
Class A
The Mavericks won four straight, including a 35-point victory over the Thunder at home. Sometimes all you need to get momentum is a layup, and he had three easy layups in the Mavericks' win over Oklahoma City. The team has been playing extremely well during this winning streak, ranking in the top five in both offensive and defensive ratings and second in net rating behind the Cavaliers, who have won nine straight.
On Saturday, eight players scored at least five points in the first half, and seven players finished the game in double figures. It was the definition of a team win, and one made even more special by the new players. Not much has changed in terms of how the Mavericks are playing right now other than the atmosphere feels different and the effort is there.
Straight A: Nico Harrison
If anything, Nico Harrison has noticed. He knows what kind of player Luka Doncic is, he knows what Doncic needs to win and he knows his mistakes. This was again on display when the Mavericks traded Grant Williams, a valuable offseason acquisition, after just six months in Dallas. Williams hasn't played well, but Dallas now has a young, versatile, big forward in his place in P.J. Washington. Harrison also addressed the Mavericks' backup center hole in the Daniel Gafford trade.
From a personnel standpoint alone, this was a home run for Dallas. Harrison fully subscribes to the “win now” mentality, but he also made moves that benefit the youth he started building last year. Washington and Gafford would be a perfect fit for Dallas and move the Mavericks much closer to becoming a contender.
Preparing for failure: The Mavericks' backup plan
The flip side of the coin is that these trades will starve Dallas of future draft capital. They got back two low-value second-round picks in exchange for the first-round pick they gave up to Washington, which is the last first-round pick they have to trade until two more spots become available this summer. It became. Dallas still seems a little careless with their assets. Maybe it's just the atmosphere of the previous administration still lingering, but it feels irresponsible to trade the last first-rounder for a role player. It may not matter, Washington may end up being very good (in fact, I think it will be), but in the future, if this current construction collapses, Dallas will have to start over completely. It's hard to see a way to get rid of it. .
That mindset may be too paranoid for a team with Luka Doncic, but it's hard to ignore the overwhelming ease with which this front office abandons the future in favor of the present. Looking back five years from now, we may be able to say that this deadline was the direct trigger for us to advance to the playoffs and even win a championship. But we may look back and say, “I wish we had one more of his first-round picks to throw into the Player X contract.” Or, in the worst case scenario, it could be a case of the pick desperately wanting to be used on a player. Whatever happens in the end, all we can do now is wait and see how well Washington and Gafford do.
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