The Dallas Mavericks had a real chance to take down the LA Clippers in the first-round of the 2021 NBA playoffs. Luka Doncic was putting together an incredible individual run along with his co-star Tim Hardaway Jr., which pushed the Clippers to a concerning Game 7.

It’s clear the Mavericks are the real deal long-term with Luka Doncic running the show. He’s continued to progress at such an alarmingly fast rate that it’s now vital for the Mavericks to get aggressive to surround him with the necessary pieces in order to be able to actually pull off a series win in the NBA playoffs against teams like the Clippers.

READ MORE: NBA Rumors: The latest intel on a possible Kristaps Porzingis offseason trade

The Mavericks need to add a secondary ball handler in order to lighten the load that Luka Doncic has to carry on the court throughout games. It would also help to have that type of a talent in order to stagger minutes so the team’s bench unit doesn’t look entirely lost without Doncic playing.

The real question is whether the Mavericks will need to move on from Kristaps Porzingis in order to get into a position in order to address their needs. If they feel as though the answer is ‘yes’, then giving the the Oklahoma City Thunder a call would be the right way to go.

The Thunder have no shortage of salary cap flexibility as they rebuild around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander through the NBA Draft. With the No. 4 odds to win the Cade Cunningham sweepstakes, Oklahoma City will have a real opportunity to get the job done. Adding Porzingis into the mix would only help.

With all of that being said, let’s dive into this NBA trade scenario by Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz centered around Kristaps Porzingis being sent from the Dallas Mavericks to the Oklahoma City Thunder.