Last-Minute Trade and Free-Agent Targets for the Dallas Mavericks
Going into the season, the Dallas Mavericks had one of the deepest teams in the league. However, the Rajon Rondo trade stripped the bench. With a lack of bulk up front, it's almost a certainty the Mavs will look to fill their last roster spot with a big man.
The Feb. 19 trade deadline is getting closer, but it's unlikely Dallas will be a major player during the upcoming frenzy of negotiations.
The Mavericks have already sacrificed their 2015 first-round draft pick and 2016 second-rounder to land Rondo, while also giving up key cogs off the bench in forwards Brandan Wright and Jae Crowder.
Even elite teams tend to hold tightly on to their first-round picks, only giving them away when conducting blockbuster trades.
The Mavs don't really have any attractive player assets they would be willing to move. This means that they would likely have to spice up any offer for a quality backup center with their 2016 first-round pick. That's hardly a conceivable possibility, considering that other, much cheaper options are available.
There are already several interesting names that have been linked to Dallas lately, suggesting that the team will look for reinforcements among available free agents.
Jermaine O'Neal
UPDATE (9:30am ET, February 17): Jermaine O'Neal indicated via his Instagram page that he's likely not going to rejoin the NBA this season after all. --END OF UPDATE
O'Neal has been considering coming back to the NBA and joining a title contender for a while now. The 18-year veteran is still taking his time getting physically and mentally prepared on his own schedule.
The Mavericks, among other teams, have patiently waited for the big man to make himself available.
If we are to believe The Dallas Morning News' Eddie Sefko, O'Neal is very likely to pick the Mavs as his new team once he is ready to return:
"Jermaine is pretty much a given. The Mavericks are pretty sure he wants to join them. It's just a matter of when. They would have liked to have had him two weeks ago. But they'll take him when they can get him. At this point, the only thing surprising would be if he didn't join the Mavericks.
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O'Neal, 36, averaged 7.9 points and 5.5 rebounds last season with the Golden State Warriors. He was a key cog off their bench and helped the team survive as a starter in the absence of Andrew Bogut.
He is obviously a shell of what he once was, but O'Neal certainly looked like a very capable backup center last year. He is a decent two-way player, even though he might not be an explosive pick-and-roll big man anymore.
While O'Neal is probably the best available option for Dallas, there are question marks regarding his durability. He has missed significant time with various wrist and knee ailments, and has not played more than 55 regular-season games since 2009-10.
Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle is generally good at rotating his guys and giving them sufficient rest, but O'Neal's track record health-wise isn't encouraging.
Amar'e Stoudemire
UPDATE (9:30am ET, February 17): According to RealGM's Shams Charania, Amar'e Stoudemire will commit to the Mavericks as soon as he clears waivers Wednesday. --END OF UPDATE
Amar'e Stoudemire's tenure with the New York Knicks would have officially ended this summer, but the player and team reached an agreement for a buyout. According to ESPN's Marc Stein, this means that Stoudemire, 32, will be up for grabs once he clears waivers.
Frank Isola of New York Daily News reports that Stoudemire will look for a new team immediately, and the Mavs are certainly on his radar:
"Amar’e Stoudemire’s days in New York are over but he could find a new home by the end of the week.
A league source told the Daily News that Stoudemire and the Knicks formally reached a buyout prior to Sunday’s All Star Game and that the six-time All Star, who should clear waivers by Wednesday, could be in a new uniform by the time the league resume on Thursday...
Several teams in the Western Conference are expected to pursue Stoudemire, who would be a solid addition to a playoff team as a reserve. The Dallas Mavericks have already been mentioned as a possible destination. Two others clubs in the West that could be in the running are San Antonio and Golden State.
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Signing both O'Neal and Stoudemire would all of a sudden give the Mavericks an abundance of frontcourt depth. The two players would likely have to scrap for minutes, and it's uncertain whether they'd be willing to do that.
It would be a favorable situation for Dallas, as it would safeguard the team from the inherent injury risk both players carry.
Stoudemire's last couple of years with the Knicks haven't been pretty. The center/forward is far removed from his 2010-11 version of himself, when he averaged 25.3 points and 8.2 rebounds. He has struggled with a ton of injuries and regressed physically since then.
Even though his essentially untradeable contract has been regarded as one of the worst in the league during the last couple of years, Stoudemire is entering a different career stage.
When healthy, he is still a versatile offensive player. While he's lost a lot of his mobility, he is still a decent pick-and-roll big and has some nifty post moves. His defense has never been solid, and it hasn't gotten better with age.
He has his flaws, but Stoudemire would still be a very good pickup on a league-minimum deal.
It's worth noting that Dallas would have to create an additional roster spot in order to fit both O'Neal and Stoudemire.
Bernard James
With Tyson Chandler momentarily sidelined with an ankle injury, the Mavericks have decided to fill his void by bringing back Bernard James on a 10-day contract.
James, 30, spent the previous two NBA seasons playing a minor role with the Mavericks, but he was released last October. Before rejoining the team, he spent this year playing for the Shanghai Sharks in China, where he was able to boost his confidence.
“It was huge,” James said, according to The Dallas Morning News' Eddie Sefko. “It kind of got me back to feeling like myself again. I’m not hesitating. I’m believing in my game. It was good to play major minutes and having a team really rely on me."
He was thrown right into the action against the Utah Jazz on Feb. 11, putting up a decent performance. He scored nine points, grabbed three rebounds and blocked three shots.
Even though he gives up some size against bigger centers, James plays with a lot of energy and can protect the rim a little bit. His offensive skill set is limited, but he is a decent finisher around the rim.
James had a solid showing against the Jazz, but he's likely a last resort for Dallas. The Mavericks will have some time to continue evaluating James' progress after the All-Star break, all while waiting for O'Neal and Stoudemire to make their decisions.
Conclusion
Quality big men—even backups—rarely come cheap. Dallas simply doesn't have the necessary assets to make a move for someone like the Chicago Bulls' Taj Gibson or even the Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Garnett.
Even though Garnett doesn't have a ton of value, he would still be able to fill the role as well as O'Neal or Stoudemire.
However, even if Dallas was interested in his services, the Nets would likely ask for an attractive future asset or a draft pick in return. It's hard seeing the Mavs giving up anything major for a rest-of-the-season rental, which is why it's likelier they will avoid making any trades.
Another free-agent big man who fits the bill would be Emeka Okafor, but Stein reports the veteran center is unlikely to return this season.
No matter how you slice it, all roads seemingly lead back to the three aforementioned candidates. O'Neal, Stoudemire and James appear to be at the top of Dallas' cost-effective wish list, and it would be surprising if the team started looking elsewhere.
You can follow me on Twitter @VytisLasaitis.
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