Dallas Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks: 5 Trade Destinations For Andrew Bogut

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:13 p.m. ET

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Jan 7, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Andrew Bogut (6) blocks out Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard (8) in the first quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

As the NBA trade deadline approaches, the Dallas Mavericks have to decide if they want to trade center Andrew Bogut. Minimized in their rotation, he could be a key acquisition for a number of teams around the league.

The Dallas Mavericks are on a tear recently, winners of seven of their last 10 games. Most recently, the team knocked off the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers on back-to-back nights.

When the team started 6-20, their season seemed to be over. Offseason moves to fill out their roster with veterans showed a commitment to another postseason run in Dirk Nowitzki’s twilight years. But injuries and gut-punch losses seemed to derail that goal from the jump.

The Mavericks are not a team to lay down, either as a roster or an organization. With Nowitzki returning healthy to the lineup, Dallas began to claw its way back into the playoff picture.

Head coach Rick Carlisle showed no hesitation in morphing the starting lineup, rotating the guards and going small around Nowitzki at center.

While the move has launched the Mavericks into the thick of the competition for the eighth and final playoff berth in the West, it has also shown clearly a reality for this team.

Andrew Bogut, former No. 1 overall pick and recent champion with the Golden State Warriors, is not a meaningful part of this team.

Bogut has played in just three games over Dallas’ winning stretch, totaling just eight points, nine rebounds and seven fouls. On the season Bogut has played in just 25 games, some missed due to injury, but many others that fateful DNP-CD.

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While the Dallas rotation thrives with Dirk starting in the middle, Bogut is left on the outside looking in.

His marginal playing time and little meaningful on-court impact mean that Bogut’s trade value has been depressed from what it was at the start of the season. Even so, Bogut is not simply a washed-up player.

The Australian center is third in the league in defensive Real Plus-Minus, behind just Rudy Gobert and former teammate Draymond Green.

There is need around the league for a true rim protecting center, especially one who cleans the glass and can facilitate an offense on the other end. As Bogut’s value wanes, the opportunity to trade for him opens up for more and more teams.

With the trade deadline approaching, which five teams stand out as potential destinations for Andrew Bogut?

Jan 29, 2017; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Mason Plumlee (24) reacts after a call during the second half in a game against the Golden State Warriors at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers are often the first team mentioned in connection with any rim-protecting center. Their combination of Mason Plumlee, Ed Davis and Meyers Leonard does not speak to a monster in the middle swatting away shots.

The Blazers have improved slightly on defense since their last-place start, righting their free fall just as they passed out of the top eight in the West.

They have clawed their way up to 25th in the league, although closer to the last-place Los Angeles Lakers than to the 22nd-ranked Orlando Magic.

Their backcourt has acute defensive limitations, as Damian Lillard ranks 73rd among point guards in defensive RPM and C.J. McCollum is 79th among shooting guards.

This leaves an opportunity for Bogut to step into spot minutes at the pivot, playing more when the opponent has a true center and less minutes when their attack is more spread out.

On offense Bogut can make plays in the role Mason Plumlee is filling. Lillard and McCollum are both crack shooters and Bogut is adept at putting a pass right in a shooter’s scoring pocket. He’s also a brutal screen-setter, another underrated part of a great offense.

Andrew Bogut is by no means the answer to all of Portland’s problems, and he does not have the stamina nor medical report to play a significant role. But in the right situations the Trail Blazers would know they can deploy a true defensive anchor to protect the paint.

Jan 21, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls center Robin Lopez (8) dribbles the ball against Sacramento Kings center Kosta Koufos (41) during the first half at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Chicago Bulls

Another team fighting for its playoff life, the Chicago Bulls are just on the right side of the cutoff. But at 24-25, this team has struggled to live up to expectations amid a hailstorm of drama, controversy and poor defense.

Starting center Robin Lopez has been a solid offensive piece for the Bulls, setting screens and attacking the glass. But on defense, his slow-footed stance makes him vulnerable to players attacking him in space. Among NBA centers, Lopez ranks 67th in defensive RPM.

Bogut doesn’t have the quickest feet, but his defensive instincts and timing allow him to keep the paint protected from attacking offensive players. He balances dropping back with staying close enough to the opposing ball-handler to convince them they’re not open.

On offense, Bogut is the definition of a low-usage player. That’s perfect for a Chicago duo in Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler that want every late-game play to go through them.

Both Wade and Butler rank in the top 20 in usage rate during the fourth quarter, at 33.9 and 34.1 percent respectively. Bogut is 446th in the league with an 8.4 percent usage rate.

While Chicago desperately needs a starting-caliber point guard, they have players who can handle the ball in Butler and Wade. What the team cannot replicate is a true rim-protecting big. Enter Andrew Bogut.

Jan 10, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Roy Hibbert (55, right) and Charlotte Hornets forward Marvin Williams (2) speak during a timeout against the Houston Rockets during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets entered the season as near-playoff locks, and a hot start saw them second in the conference for a brief period of time. Even as Kemba Walker and the team settled back to earth, a weak middle of the East seemed to ensure the Hornets a top-four place in the conference.

But the Hornets suddenly ran into a wall, and have been spiraling down the standings ever since. As the Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards surged up, the Hornets have surged down, losing 11 of their last 15 games to fall to 23-25, eighth in the East.

With the return of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, there was hope that the Hornets could rank in the top two or three in defensive efficiency this season. While they are still a respectable seventh, their offensive limitations weigh that down too significantly.

Roy Hibbert was signed in the offseason as a defensively-minded backup center to play rotation minutes and guard the rim. He has been wholly unable to make a significant impact and any defensive contributions he makes are wiped out by his poor offensive play.

Andrew Bogut could come in as a replacement for Hibbert’s minutes, providing the impact that the former Pacer and Laker was unable to bring.

Bogut’s presence would fit well in coach Steve Clifford’s conservative scheme and his need for limited minutes would fit well behind starting center Cody Zeller.

Bogut will not solve Charlotte’s offensive problems, but he won’t compound them as Hibbert was doing. And his defensive impact and veteran presence my help to stabilize this Charlotte team before it’s too late.

Jan 5, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) guards San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) in the third quarter at the Pepsi Center. The Spurs won 127-99. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

San Antonio Spurs

Light-skinned international big man? Completely on board with a player health system that promises frequent rest and managed minutes? At least one specifically elite skill? Andrew Bogut checks all of the boxes on the Spurs’ list of player acquisitions.

With Pau Gasol out of the lineup and David Lee the very antithesis of a rim-protecting big man, Andrew Bogut would fill a key need for the Spurs.

Without needing to play heavy minutes, he could step in immediately and even start for the next month while Gasol rehabs from his fractured finger.

The Spurs have been starting LaMarcus Aldridge at center recently, with rookie Davis Bertans stepping in alongside him as a stretch-4. Previously they had given Lee run at starting center, to middling results.

The Spurs would prefer to keep Aldridge at the 4 to start games, preserving him for the postseason.

Enter Bogut, who would alleviate the burden being placed on Aldridge and Leonard and allow less-capable players to fill smaller roles. On an expiring deal, Bogut would not limit the Spurs’ cap space for the summer, but would give them another stout veteran for a deep playoff run.

When Gasol returns, Bogut would still be available for limited minutes and provide rotation insurance in case of another injury to Gasol or another big.

Then in the inevitable Western Conference Finals meeting with the Warriors, Bogut would provide an unending stream of choice quotes in the media as he is asked continually about his former team.

Jan 30, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (5) defends against Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) and guard Isaiah Thomas (4) during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Boston Celtics

With the swooning of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics have a unique opportunity to secure the best position possible ahead of the playoffs.

The Toronto Raptors have lost six of their last seven games, while the Cleveland Cavaliers are losers of seven of their last 11.

This has allowed Boston to rise to second place, now just 2.5 games back from the Cavaliers. Isaiah Thomas has continued to be brilliant late in games, pouring in 24 fourth-quarter points in a win over the Detroit Pistons Monday night.

What the Celtics do not have is a consistent rim protector, a key point of weakness that has sparked Boston’s drop from fourth in defensive efficiency last season to 19th this season.

A key part of that drop has been their terrible defensive rebounding, where they rank last in the league this season.

Andrew Bogut has always been an above-average defensive rebounder and even playing limited minutes this season he is pulling in 8.4 rebounds per game. His 13.3 rebounds per-36 minutes ranks ninth in the league among players averaging at least 20 minutes per game.

Bogut could immediately step in and meet the need for Boston, cleaning the glass and protecting the rim. On offense, Bogut is elite at clearing space underneath the basket for driving teammates, either through legal post-ups or illegal-yet-unseen grabs.

As with any of his potential destinations, Andrew Bogut is not a game-changing piece that will alter the title landscape. But he is a savvy veteran center that has real NBA skills, and if he can stay healthy down the stretch his presence will be a real boon to the team that acquires him.