Luka Doncic wanted a roster upgrade, and the Dallas Mavericks front office delivered. Kyrie Irving’s arrival at Dallas will bolster an offense that already ranks among the top 10 in the league (7th in offensive rating), giving the team another elite playmaker/shot-creator to pair with Luka. It is time to turn our attention to other Mavericks trade deadline targets in 2023.
Kyrie’s long-term commitment to his new team is still cloudy, but we know by now that the Mavericks will do just about everything to make Luka happy.
The Mavericks made the Kyrie deal days before the trade deadline, so there is a notion that the trade winds haven’t stopped blowing in Dallas. They let go of a valuable unprotected first-round pick (2029) in the Kyrie trade, which could signify that the Mavericks will go all-in on another trade.
This begs the question of which players would become the Mavericks’ trade deadline targets in 2023. Here are some names that come to mind…
Mavericks trade deadline targets 2023
Parting ways with Spencer Dinwiddie in the Kyrie trade was necessary, but what hurts the Mavericks is letting go of a versatile, multi-positional defender in Dorian Finney-Smith. The Mavs already have a porous defense (ranked 24th in defensive rating), so if they make another trade before this Thursday’s deadline, going after a good defender will be a priority.
Robert Covington
The 32-year-old Robert Covington is still one of the best players available ahead of the deadline. The Los Angeles Clippers actually have two multi-positional defenders that the Mavericks can target: Covington and Nicolas Batum. Batum has a bigger role in the Clippers’ rotation this season, so Covington — who is only logging 16.1 minutes per game — could be the more viable option for the Mavs.
Covington can space the floor on offense with his legit long-range marksmanship, and he can anchor the Mavs’ schemes on the other end. Before this season, the 6-foot-8 power forward averaged at least one steal and one block in four consecutive years. One of the Mavericks’ trade ideas that could be applied here is to give up either Christian Wood or Tim Hardaway Jr. in a deal for Covington.
Myles Turner
Among the Mavericks’ trade options, getting defensive-minded big man Myles Turner could be the ultimate prize. Nothing more could be said about his superb defensive capabilities, not to mention the many things he can also contribute on offense. He is a decent shooter (39% on 4.1 three-point attempts), a good screener, and an excellent rim-running big.
Turner packs a skill set that could help him seamlessly co-exist with Luka and Kyrie. The tricky part here is how much the Pacers will demand in a trade negotiation around Turner’s services. The Mavs may have to give up both Christian Wood and Tim Hardaway Jr., or pair either Wood or Hardaway with a young talent (like Josh Green or Jaden Hardy) and a future first-round draft pick.
Bojan Bogdanovic
Does Mavs head coach Jason Kidd trust Josh Green enough to view him as a dependable defender come playoff time? Can the Mavericks clear up a roster spot to search for a reliable defensive wing among the current free agents?
If yes, then they could go after the services of Detroit Pistons scoring wing Bojan Bogdanovic — that is, if the Pistons are willing to part ways with the vet. According to Marc Stein, teams are having difficulties negotiating a Bogdanovic trade with the Pistons, so we’re not sure if the 33-year-old scorer is on the trading block.
Bogdanovic is having a career season this year, averaging 21.4 points on an efficient 63.1% True Shooting. Bogdanovic could help make the Mavs offense unstoppable if the Mavs can trade for him.