The Dallas Mavericks (25-24) have lost eight of their last 11 games and have fallen to No. 6 seed in the Western Conference standings — just one game away from falling out of the playoffs and play-in altogether.
With reports of Luka Doncic ‘strongly indicating’ that he’d like roster improvements ahead of the Feb. 9 trade deadline, the Mavericks are on the clock … whether those reports are denied or not.
So, why not answer Doncic’s reported desires by trading for one of his buddies who also happens to be a certified bucket?
On ESPN’s NBA Countdown prior to last week’s matchup with the Atlanta Hawks, Adrian Wojnarowski discussed Dallas’ plans leading up to next month’s trade deadline and linked them to Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic.
“I think it’s hard for Dallas right now to get the kind of co-star that they would want. A legitimate No. 2 player or maybe it’s a No. 3 player next to Christian Wood in the trade market. I think the kind of players that the Mavs are knocking on the door … look in Detroit, Bojan Bogdanovic, Nerlens Noel — that’s a tandem that could be in a package together.
Bogdanovic, who is averaging a career-high 21.5 points per game, signed a two-year extension on Oct. 30 following being traded to Detroit. The eight-year veteran is due $39.03 million over the next two seasons, which adds to the allure of acquiring Bogdanovic as he’d be a mainstay going forward next to Doncic.
Despite being 33 years old, adding Bogdanovic would immediately raise the Mavericks’ ceiling by bolstering their lineup with another reliable source of scoring and outside shooting. Playing alongside Doncic, Bogdanovic would be on the receiving end of the most wide-open looks he’s had in his career.
But what would a trade like this cost for Dallas?
Dallas is said to be holding their future first-round picks close to their chest in efforts to hoard them for a blockbuster trade for a star as soon as this coming offseason. But at this point in the season, with a wide-open Western Conference, acquiring a player like Bogdanovic could swing things in the Mavericks’ direction.
Reports say that the Pistons want at least one unprotected first-round pick in return for Bogdanovic. The Mavericks, in theory, could offer a future unprotected first and Tim Hardaway Jr. for Bogdanović.
At the end of the day, the current roster is not good enough to contend for a title. And with Bogdanovic being coveted across the league, Mavs GM Nico Harrison must strike soon or the deadline will come and go with Bogdanovic landing elsewhere.
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