A New Look Dallas Mavericks

The New Look Mavs
ThreeTrades that could change the face of Dallas and the NBA
A LayupDrill.com Exclusive

The Current Mavs Rotation

Dirk Nowitzki
Jason Terry
Josh Howard
Jason Kidd
Gerald Green
Erick Dampier
DeSagana Diop
Jerry Stackhouse
Antoine Wright
Jose Barea

We have already seen one blockbuster trade this season, and I don’t expect that will be the last. Many teams are looking to save their season, or in some cases, start working towards next season already. The impending free agent market next summer have some exec’s making very strategic signings, with dreams of landing Kobe to their city.

Whatever the case may be, the key to who wins the NBA title this year may be directly impacted by Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks.

Cuban and other Mavericks brass are reportedly not going to take a wait and see approach regarding his team’s slow start out of the gate this year. Dirk is playing at his normal All-Star level, and young Gerald Green is showing alot of promise.

But Rick Carlisle’s coaching style is alot different than Avery Johnson’s, yet he is coaching Avery’s team. For some reason this core group have never really recovered from the NBA Finals slipping from their grasp when Dwayne Wade took over, or even being shocked in the first round of the NBA playoffs by the Baron Davis led Golden State Warriors.

Cuban gambled last season, trading young up and coming Devin Harris away to the New Jersey Nets for Jason Kidd. That deal didn’t exactly pan out the way many had hoped, but Kidd does still hold value around the league.

Rumors around the internet have run rampant on where Kidd could land, but there is only one place that seemingly makes sense, both short and long term, the Lakers.

Principals in Proposed Trade 1: Kidd to LA for Odom

The Lakers were trying desperately to land Kidd last season, but Dallas beat them out. Sure, the Lakers will win 60 games plus during the regular season, with or without Kidd.

But if they dealt for him, it would be for the Western Conference and NBA Finals. Looking at potential Western Finals matchups, Kidd would be going against Tony Parker, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, or even Steve Nash—all top flight guards.

The tandem of Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar, while workman-like, may not be able to hold their own again as they did last postseason. One deal that could work would send Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher, and Yue Sun to Dallas for Kidd and reserve forward Brandon Bass.

The Lakers would get two players with expiring contracts, brought in to win right now. Dallas would team up the talented Odom aside Dirk, and bring in Derek Fisher for that veteran leadership in the locker room.

Now that Kidd was traded, Dallas could look at sending both Howard and Terry East. One deal that works would send Josh Howard and the rights to Shan Foster to Charlotte for Gerald Wallace and Jared Dudley.

The principals in this deal would be the All-Star forwards, and would have the potential to help both teams. Howard would get a fresh start back in the state where he starred in college, and Gerald Wallace would give Dallas a very unique lineup of Odom, Wallace and Dirk possibly on the court all at the same time, making for some very difficult matchups.

Principals in Proposed Trade 2: Howard to Charlotte for Wallace

Last but not least, the Mavericks could focus on moving Jason Terry. Terry might prove to be the toughest to move, and a young team needing some proven scoring power or veteran experience would best be served to pick up the Jet.

The Blazers would be a logical choice, as they could move Brandon Roy over to the shooting guard, and bring in Terry to run the point as well as add valuable playoff experience.

Dallas would have to take on some unwanted contract dead weight in big man Joel Pryzilla, but could also pick up rookie Jerryd Bayless, who would be able to learn under Derek Fisher.

Principals in Proposed Trade 3: Terry to Portland for Bayless

So heading into 2009, the potential roster for the Mavs would be this:

PG Fisher/Bayless
SG Wallace/Stackhouse
SF Odom/Antoine Wright
PF Dirk/Gerald Green
C Dampier/Pryzbilla/Diop

The bench would include Yue Sun, James Singleton, Jose Barea, and Nedzad Sinaovic. The possibilities of combinations in the rotation are endless, and Carlisle would probably lose sleep dreaming of the potential of this group.