Does this trade make sense for the Dallas Mavericks?
The primary objective for the Dallas Mavericks is to surround Luka Doncic with as much shooting as possible. The 2019-20 season showed precisely what happens when that’s made into a priority. Moving on from Seth Curry in favor of Josh Richardson was…not the best of ideas. Now, adding more shooting is key.
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Buddy Hield would flourish as the recipient of Doncic’s passing, resulting in many clean catch-and-shoot attempts throughout games. The Mavericks would also have a backup plan already in place in the event that Tim Hardaway Jr. were to not return in NBA free agency.
If the Mavericks were to move Kristaps Porzingis, it likely would be done in a manner that brings back a player who is also signed to a big deal that hasn’t quite lived up to it yet. Buddy Hield would be an ideal example of this and they could genuinely use a stretch big, especially if they end up having to replace Richaun Holmes as there aren’t viable replacements who match his style of play.
It would be substantially simpler for the Mavericks to involve Buddy Hield in the half-court offense than Kristaps Porzingis. The Mavericks would even be able to add helpful layers with off-ball actions that utilize Hield’s gravity as a shooter. It’s a key reason why he averaged 16.6 points per game with 10.2 of his 14.0 field goal attempts per game came from the perimeter, where he shot 39.1%.