Ranking Mavericks' Top Trade Targets After 2024 NBA Finals Loss
The Dallas Mavericks built their roster to contend for an NBA championship.
That's exactly what they wound up doing.
They entered the postseason as the Western Conference's No. 5 seed and still found their way out of that side of the playoff bracket and into their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011. This season was a smashing success, even if it may not feel that way immediately on the heels of their championship-round loss to the Boston Celtics.
All of that said, the main goal of winning an NBA title—which the Mavs have already paid a significant long-term price while pursuing—has yet to be achieved. So, it's back to the drawing board for Dallas' decision-makers, who don't have a ton of trade assets but must maximize their value while searching for this team's missing pieces.
3. Matisse Thybulle, Portland Trail Blazers
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The Mavericks have barked up this tree before, having signed Matisse Thybulle to an offer sheet last offseason only to see the Trail Blazers match it. The same things that drew Dallas to Thybulle then should still interest it now.
The Mavs need more defense. And that's true regardless of whether Derrick Jones Jr. re-signs as a free agent.
This team defended in spurts this season, but once the curtain dropped, it still sat a forgettable 18th in defensive efficiency, per NBA.com. Given that NBA history has largely held that it takes top-10 efficiency ranks on both ends to compete for the crown, Dallas' defense still has another level it needs to reach.
Getting Thybulle would immediately beef up the Mavs' point-of-attack coverage, and his defensive playmaking (career 2.6 steals and 1.4 blocks per 36 minutes, per Basketball-Reference) would up the club's transition chances. Even better, he has a chance to make enough shots to stick alongside Dallas' stars, having converted a rock-solid 35.4 percent of his long-range looks over the past two seasons.
2. Dorian Finney-Smith, Brooklyn Nets
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In Feb. 2023, the Mavericks had to sacrifice Dorian Finney-Smith as part of the trade package used to acquire Irving. When Finney-Smith returned to Dallas as a visitor in October, Dončić was already trying to talk a reunion into existence.
It could happen sooner than later. The Nets might not be rebuilding—they probably would be if they controlled their own draft picks—but they aren't close to competing for anything of substance. So, if they have a chance to turn a role-playing veteran into an actual asset or two, that's something they'd have to consider.
If it is, Dallas should be all over the pursuit.
Finney-Smith's three-and-D game is just what the Mavericks need alongside their net-shredding stars. He can handle virtually any defensive assignment thrown his way, and while his shooting has tapered off a bit (34.3 percent the past two seasons), it could jolt back to life from the quality of looks created by Irving and Dončić.
1. Bogdan Bogdanović, Atlanta Hawks
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While Irving and Dončić were nothing short of magical this season, the same isn't quite true of the Mavericks' offense. It was good, but not jaw-droppingly great (eighth in efficiency).
Adding Bogdan Bogdanović to the mix might get them into that elite tier.
The 31-year-old could provide a more consistent scoring punch off the bench than Tim Hardaway Jr. and a deeper offensive arsenal than anyone currently surrounding their stars. Having Bogdanović as a sixth man who has a spot in the closing group would mean this attack could keep humming when the stars sit and reach the peak of its powers in the game's biggest moments.
With the Hawks likely to do some serious shaking up this summer, Bogdanović hardly feels off-limits. If the Mavericks could sell them on Hardaway's expiring contract and an asset or two, that might be the realistic offseason move that pushes their ceiling the highest.
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