Does this trade make sense for the Dallas Mavericks?
Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis are fantastic players when healthy, but outside of these two guys, the Dallas Mavericks do not have a lot of reliable scoring options that they can feel comfortable with in a potential championship-run. Tim Hardaway Jr. has been solid on the wing this season but he is set to become an unrestricted free agent, Josh Richardson will be in the final year of his contract next season and this team does not have any relatively young players that are set to take on a massive up-tick in minutes.
As a result, with not much salary space to be able to go after All-Star talents in free agency, the next best thing the Mavericks can do is trade for a player like Kemba Walker, who’s trade value may be down in the offseason due to the Boston Celtics potentially looking to move him as soon as possible.
If the Dallas Mavericks are to be true title contenders moving forward, they need to try and acquire another All-Star talent to pair with Luka and Porzingis because when it comes down to it, this team does not have a reliable third scoring option right now. Doncic and Porzingis will get their points and will be productive, but where will the rest of the scoring come from?
By adding Kemba Walker, this question is easily answered and the Mavericks would not have a problem finding scoring out on the court in their starting rotation. This season, Walker is averaging 18.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists and is shooting 35.6% from three-point range, giving the Mavs exactly what they need in a third scoring option.
RELATED: NBA Trade Rumors: Evaluating 4 biggest losers from 2021 NBA trade deadline
While giving up Josh Richardson and Jalen Brunson definitely hurts the Mavericks’ depth, players like Kemba Walker do not hit the trade market everyday and this is an opportunity the Mavs could not afford to pass up on.
Also, they would have Walker for at least two to three seasons, unlike both Richardson and Brunson, who are set to become free agents following the 2021-22 season. Going out and trading for Kemba Walker while keeping Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis maximizes Dallas’ chances of competing for a title and sets them up for a ton of success for many years to come.
