Mavericks Rumors: Dallas Open to Trading Anyone Not Named Luka Dončić for Star Player

The Dallas Mavericks are desperate to find a star player to pair with Luka Dončić, so much so that the team is reportedly making almost everyone on the roster available prior to the Feb. 9 trade deadline.

According to Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News, the Mavs "are open to trading just about anyone not named" Dončić in hopes of landing a superstar-caliber player.

Caplan noted that a player like swingman Dorian Finney-Smith previously was held out of trade discussions by Dallas, but that no longer appears to be the case.

At 26-25, the Mavs have been a middling team that has struggled to sustain consistency throughout the year. Dallas is coming off a loss to the Utah Jazz on Saturday as Doncic sat out with a sprained ankle, dropping the team to 0-6 this season when he's not in the lineup.

While Dončić is one of the leading candidates for NBA MVP, he's had to shoulder a substantial offensive load without much help from his teammates. The 23-year-old leads the Mavs with 33.0 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game. No other player on the team averages more than 20 points. To make matters worse, second-leading scorer Christian Wood is currently sidelined with a fractured thumb.

As one of the premier young talents in the NBA, Dončić gives Dallas a window to compete for a championship. The team made a surprising run to the Western Conference Finals last season, its deepest playoff run since its title win in 2011. However, it's clear that the four-time All-Star needs some help to get the Mavs to truly be title contenders this year.

It remains to be seen how Dallas will try to improve its roster around Dončić, but there aren't many superstar players available on the trade market. The Mavs will likely have to smartly make smaller moves to put pieces in place that would help their playoff run in 2023.