Dallas Mavericks: Are They Adding Talent for Big Trade?

The Dallas Mavericks sit at 4-5, a far cry from the defending champion status they personify when ESPN rolls the championship credits at the beginning of a SportsCenter segment.

They have struggled with their grueling schedule, losing games on the road in San Antonio, Minnesota and Oklahoma City—looking awful in former two (I would know; I was at the San Antonio game).

Veteran and sure-fire Hall of Famers Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd seem to be struggling with the lack of rest and practice time, with Nowitzki only scoring 16 points in his last two games and Kidd injuring his back in the game against the Spurs last Thursday night.

As the team keeps preaching the importance of staying in the middle of the pack and getting ready for the postseason, they continue to also add first-round talent—specifically in the form of Yi Jianlian. 

Let's be honest—Yi is an exciting, skilled player who can be extremely difficult to guard on a night-to-night basis. He's set to join the team in Detroit for the matchup with the Pistons tonight.

But in terms of the rotation, where does the Chinese player really fit?

Take a look at the current rotation (and consider that Lamar Odom is a 3/4 tweener, but for the purposes of depth, also consider that he backs up Nowitzki).

PG - Kidd, Roddy Beaubois, Dominique Jones

SG - Delonte West, Jason Terry

SF - Shawn Marion, Vince Carter

PF - Nowitzki, Lamar Odom, Yi , Brian Cardinal

C - Brendan Haywood, Ian Mahinmi, Brandan Wright, Sean Williams

So the Mavericks have seven guys listed at 6'10" or higher. Don't get me wrong, a lineup that includes Odom, Carter, Nowitzki and a true center on the floor is one of the biggest in the league, one that could rival the lineups of the Thunder, New York Knicks or Indiana Pacers in terms of size.

It still leads to problems on the perimeter, putting the Corey Brewer trade in question in the minds of Maverick faithful. 

But in the spirit of trusting that GM Donnie Nelson and owner Mark Cuban are thinking two steps ahead instead of putting all their eggs in the basket of a championship, it seems to me that all this talent and one-year contract signings signal something more.

It has been well chronicled that the Mavericks are in the hunt for both Dwight Howard and/or Deron Williams, a combination that, with Nowitzki, would set them up to rival any "Big 3" in the league.

Think of all the trade pieces they have to spin to another team: Haywood's approximately $9 million annual salary, which can be amnestied if necessary next summer; Lamar Odom's contract that has a $2.4 million buyout for next season; and young talent in Yi, Wright, Jones, Beaubois and Williams, who have all raised eyebrows at various points this season.

I'm not going to sit here and lecture about all the ways the Mavericks can get one or both of those guys to Big D. But here's another article that examines some of the ways the Mavs can get in on Deron and Dwight.

Don't get me wrong, the Mavericks are not giving up. They want another title. It's going to be fun to see how Rick Carlisle utilizes Yi and the rest of the depth they have.

But finding a way to defend a title with a different set of complementary players and a shortened schedule has already shown to be tough on veteran teams, so enjoy all this young talent while you can.

Because if my assertions are true, they'll be flipped for bigger fish sometime in the near future, and Maverick faithful might not have to see a Kardashian at a game again anytime soon.

Check out my twitter, if you're into that kind of stuff.

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