Ranking Mavericks' Top Trade Targets After 2025 NBA Playoff Loss
When the Dallas Mavericks made the shocking decision to deal Luka Dončić, the aim was to win right now.
So much for that.
The Mavs' hopes were effectively extinguished once Kyrie Irving—no stranger to the injury bug—went down with a torn ACL. Whatever dreams Dallas had onto after that were officially dashed with the team's 120-106 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday, knocking the club out of the play-in tournament and into an offseason in which this roster must be strengthened around Irving and Anthony Davis.
The Mavs might claim to have "no regrets" about the Dončić, but nothing short of an NBA championship will convince this fanbase it was the right move to make. Dallas should have a few years left to try to maximize the Irving-Davis duo, but this roster must be razor-sharp around it. Prioritizing the following three trade targets could help make that happen.
3. Ochai Agbaji, Toronto Raptors
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Like most modern teams, the Mavs could use more players who can handle multiple defensive assignments on the perimeter and provide off-ball offensive utility as shotmakers and timely cutters. Players who are Quentin Grimes-like you might say. (Too soon?)
It took some time for Ochai Agbaji, a lottery pick in 2022, to carve out that niche, but he thrived in that role for the Raptors this season. His 10.4 points, 49.8 field-goal percentage and 39.9 three-point percentage were all career-highs, and his plus-0.1 defensive estimated plus/minus was a respectable 65th percentile mark, per Dunks & Threes.
Maybe that makes Toronto hesitant to give him up, but it's hard to image he's off-limits. His two previous seasons were less productive (and less efficient) than this, and his future ones could be more expensive since he's extension-eligible this summer.
He might be worthy of a relatively significant investment from the Mavs given their need to win sooner rather than later. He offers far more flexibility on defense than the version of Klay Thompson that Dallas received, and Agbaji is a more reliable long-range shooter than Naji Marshall.
2. Nikola Topić, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Dallas' playmaking and shot-creation was always destined to decline once Dončić left town. However, the Mavs weren't exactly prepared for it to plummet after Irving's injury. Spencer Dinwiddie has exceeded expectations while posting generally pedestrian numbers, Dante Exum isn't a scoring threat and Brandon Williams has yet to fully reside within an NBA rotation.
Oh, know what else those three players have in common? None is signed beyond this season.
That's a long-winded way of saying point guard should be a priority position for the Mavericks, which could up the appeal in a possibly discounted deal for Nikola Topić. The 19-year-old was always looking at a redshirt rookie season after suffering a partially torn ACL last May, but his future in Oklahoma City still looks murky since the Thunder are too good to find him developmental minutes and they have alternatives for a backup playmaker.
Topić has a bright future regardless as a 6'6" point guard with vision, handles, finishing and ball-screen creativity. There's a universe in which he could soak up the majority of minutes at lead guard for the Mavs next season while Irving gets healthy, then settle into a high-mileage reserve role who scratches Dallas' itch for non-Uncle Drew creation.
1. T.J. McConnell, Indiana Pacers
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The Mavericks will add a point guard this offseason. That might be the least bold prediction you'll read about the Association's summer activity, but it's almost certainly true.
Dallas needs someone who can hold things over in Irving's absence, so he returns to a club with a real chance at winning something of substance. But the Mavs also need someone to back him up and ensure the offense doesn't grind to a halt whenever he needs a breather.
T.J. McConnell could be perfect for that role. His shooting limitations deny him a chance at being a full-time starter, but he does a tremendous job of both playing within himself and maximizing the players around him. He routinely makes great decisions (career 5.0 assists against 1.6 turnovers) and that extends to his shot selection as well (career 51.6 field-goal percentage).
Dallas' unpaid draft debts make it difficult to aim much higher on the trade market, but having someone who can steady the ship in Irving's absence and maintain relevance upon his return would be a not insignificant plus. The Mavs could have trouble doing any better given their trade-budget constraints.
