Dallas Mavericks Trade Rumors Tracker: The Pros and Cons to Landing Steve Nash

Trade deadline rumors are swirling and one has Steve Nash reuniting with Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas. For the foundering Mavericks (who have lost five of six), the thought of landing Nash is certainly compelling.

The pros to adding Nash are fairly obvious:

1. The Mavs would receive an All-Star point guard, a position in which Jason Kidd is undeniably aging and nobody else has shown convincing promise (24-year-old Rodrigue Beaubois has shown flashes of stellar play but nothing consistent). Nash, despite being 38-years-old, would give the Dallas backcourt a top-notch creator and distributor.

2. Reuniting Nash and Nowitzki is a sure cause for intrigue. It wouldn't take long for them to feed off each other, and the savvy veterans are more than capable of leading the charge to a deep playoff run.

3. Most importantly, adding Nash would give the Mavs a legitimate chance to repeat as champions. Let's be honest, right now the Mavs look like a team that will get ousted in the first round. Acquiring Nash would suddenly change the outlook on the rest of the season.

These pros may provide enough reason for the Mavs to pursue Nash, but we can't conclude that trading for him is the best decision until we examine the cons:

1. Does adding Nash really make the Mavs a title contender? Yes, he may help them escape the first or second round. But would Nash, Nowitzki and the rest of the Mavs have enough firepower to beat teams like Oklahoma City, Miami or Chicago in later rounds? It's possible, but there are certainly reasons to have doubts.

2. Is it worth trading decent young players (i.e. Beaubois, Ian Mahinmi) to essentially "rent" Nash (who possesses an expiring contract) for a few months? Moreover, what if Nash doesn't really make the Mavs contenders and they lose in the second round? Then it would be quite apparent that casting off young talent for Nash was not only unfruitful, but downright foolish.

3. Let's consider a curious hypothetical situation: Imagine if Nash comes to Dallas and the Mavs steamroll through the playoffs and win a second consecutive title. Could such a feat cause soon-to-be free agents Deron Williams and Dwight Howard to cross Dallas off their preferred list of destinations?

Elite superstars don't typically join two-time defending champions. Top players like to take their talents to an alluring location on the rise, where they can prove their value and inaugurate a title reign. For Williams and Howard, there would be nothing new to prove in Dallas if the Mavs had won the past two seasons.

That last point may appear overly analytical, but it could actually be pivotal. For Dallas fans and ownership, the supreme hope right now appears to be the imminent pursuit of Williams and Howard (despite owner Mark Cuban recently downplaying this hope). Trading for Nash could actually have a peculiar way of decreasing the chances of landing D-Will and Dwight.

Therefore, what pro or con do you believe sticks out the most?

No matter what, Dallas management must strategically consider how to handle the rest of the season, namely the trade deadline.

If the hopes of adding Williams and Howard in the coming offseason grow bleak (let's say Howard is soon traded to the Nets as the trade deadline nears), Dallas management would be wise to make a play for Nash and pursue another championship before their title window closes.

But if Williams and Howard are the priority and are seemingly going to be available, perhaps Dallas should resist the thought of landing Nash, hang onto their young talent and dream big about the coming offseason.

There's much for the Mavs to weigh in the coming weeks and months, including decisions that will have an impact well beyond the 2012 season.