Cyber Monday Trade Deals for the Dallas Mavericks
Nov 23, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle prepares to face the LA Clippers at the American Airlines Center. The Clippers defeat the Mavericks 124-104. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
It’s Cyber Monday across the country and who says the Dallas Mavericks couldn’t be shopping for potential deals to make their team better?
Cyber Monday brings about one of the bigger shopping days across the country as Christmas deals circulate internet. From grandparents looking for their grandchildren’s most prized possession to the young couple trying to stock up on their movie collection, everyone is looking for the best deals.
Could Mark Cuban, Donnie Nelson, and the Dallas Mavericks be doing their own shopping on Monday or the next following weeks?
Sitting at 2-13 over the course of the first 15 games of the season, Dallas finds themselves in uncharted waters as they hold the worst record in the NBA. With the playoffs almost impossible, the Mavericks should be in all of the trade talks over the next couple of months as they are armed with veterans, expiring contracts, young players and picks.
With trade rumors already circulating about players potentially on the market around the league, I speculated on some players the Mavericks could look into this trade season. Some could be young, flyer-type players for the future while some could have an immediate impact.
Here are five (actually more than five technically) players who Dallas could target via trade.
Oct 30, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum (11) drives to the basket against Los Angeles Clippers forward Wesley Johnson (33) in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Clippers won 88-75. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
1.) Dante Exum
This is a new (and young) name that could be hitting the trade market over the next couple of weeks as the youngster looks to have lost his spot in the rotation in Utah.
Exum, who is the former 5th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, played in all 82 games his rookie season in Utah where he averaged over 22 minutes a night. But in the 2015-16 season, it was a much different story as the youngster didn’t play the entire season due to a torn ACL.
Now he is back healthy and looks to have lost his backup minutes behind George Hill to Shelvin Mack. But if Utah decided to entertain offers, what would they want in return for their young player riding the bench?
Utah still has over $13 million in cap space so matching up salaries wouldn’t be an issue in any potential trade. Exum hasn’t exactly panned out in the league yet, but would be a flyer worthy player for the Mavericks at this stage of the franchise.
For the right price, Exum would be worth bringing to Dallas.
Nov 25, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight (11) celebrates a second quarter three pointer against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
2.) Brandon Knight
With the hopes of combining youth and veterans to form a playoff team, the Suns have once again produced a team that is at the bottom of the West. Could changes be coming for the crowded back court?
League execs reportedly expect Brandon Knight to be available. Does a deal make sense for the Suns? https://t.co/DbFYL26sKd pic.twitter.com/ZKwjvBuYdm
— CBS Sports NBA (@CBSSportsNBA) November 26, 2016
In the back court, the Suns have Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker who start. Off the bench, they have Knight, Tyler Ulis, and Leandro Barbosa. Booker and Ulis are on rookie contracts while Knight and Bledsoe are making over $10 million a year.
It’s unsure what Phoenix would want in return, but whatever team they try to trade with has to be sold on Knight being a quality player for them.
For Dallas to make a trade for Knight, they would be investing in Knight to be the point guard for the future as Knight is under contract for three more years and is just 25-years old.
Mar 14, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Zach LaVine (8) center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) and center Gorgui Dieng (5) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
3.) Zach LaVine or Gorgui Dieng
Rumors have been going around the NBA that Thibs is growing impatient with his young core in Minnesota and might be willing to break it up for the right price.
“Minnesota Timberwolves head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau is growing impatient and may deal one of his young stars for a veteran who can help him win now.” (According to Yahoo! Sports)
The report does go on to say that Thibs might target a player who is familiar with his system, but it looks as if any veteran who could help them now would be the goal.
This is pure rumors at this point as it is unclear on how high they would set the bar for the type of veteran they would get back. Assuming that Wiggins and Towns are untouchable, LaVine and Dieng would be the next “young core” pieces that could be brought up.
Minnesota is also sitting on over $12 million in cap space so matching up salaries wouldn’t be that difficult. If Minnesota decided to entertain such a deal, attaching a contract like Pekovic could entice the Wolves more.
Dallas does have some veterans, in particular Wesley Matthews, that could intrigue Thibs in such a deal even though other teams could offer them a better package.
Dieng would be nice, but if Dallas could somehow get LaVine, that would be huge going forward in the rebuild.
Nov 11, 2016; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Mason Plumlee (24) reacts after losing the ball defended by Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) and guard Arron Afflalo (40) in the second half at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
4.) Mason Plumlee, Meyers Leonard, Moe Harkless, or Allen Crabbe
Portland ranks dead last in the league in points allowed, is 9-9 on the season, and is over the cap; could a trade packaging one of their recently paid players be on the horizon?
There has been speculation about Portland entertaining a trade for a defensive anchor down low, but nothing has been confirmed over the past couple of weeks. They do rank in the bottom fourth of most defensive rankings, so a trade such as this could make sense for the Blazers.
Mason Plumlee is a free agent to be as the young center was unable to sign an extension this year. He is just 26 years old and could be an athletic center for Dallas if they pursued him. Plus Portland is already over the cap, so paying Plumlee this summer might be difficult.
Leonard and Harkless are both under 25 years old and recently signed four-year deals. Trading for them would be an investment, but one that might be worth taking for a rebuilding team.
Crabbe would be a different story and probably someone Portland isn’t putting on the market, but if they did, a potential team would have to be sold on paying him over $18 million a year.
It’s unsure of what Dallas would give up, but something around Andrew Bogut could make sense for both sides.
Feb 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) celebrates with center Jahlil Okafor (8) after a score against the Washington Wizards during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
5.) Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor
The Philadelphia 76ers are surprisingly not the worst team in the league and Joel Embiid is taking the league by storm, but trade rumors are always swirling around the Sixers.
Nerlens Noel is almost set to come back to the team in what will be one of the more crowded front courts in the league. Noel will join Embiid, Dario Saric, Ersan Ilyasova, and injured, first overall pick, Ben Simmons in the front court.
With all the young guns up front in Philly, along with the fact that Philly has almost $17 million in cap space, matching up salaries with the Sixers wouldn’t be the issue. Assuming Simmons, Embiid, and probably Saric are not going anywhere, that would leave Noel and Okafor as possible candidates.
What Philly would want back for one of their young big men is uncertain, but one would assume it would be a player who would step directly into the starting unit.
Whether it would be a pick, veteran, or a multiple team trade, Dallas could show interest in obtaining one of the young centers to be a cornerstone for the years to come.
*I have previously written about Dallas and Willie Cauley-Stein from Sacramento that you can read HERE. He would have naturally made this list.
With Dallas sitting at 2-13 on the season, I expect everyone except Harrison Barnes and Dirk Nowitzki to be available come February.
More from The Smoking Cuban
This article originally appeared on 
