The Dallas Mavericks start preseason action tonight which means it's the perfect time to start building fake trades. Dallas made a few upgrades to their roster this offseason and would likely wait a few months to see the roster in action before making any major moves, but it's never a bad idea to speculate.
Grant Hughes from Bleacher Report has identified three players each team should target in trades this offseason, one of them being Dorian Finney-Smith of the Brooklyn Nets, who has been linked multiple times this offseason to the Mavericks.
The other two names he mentioned for the Mavs were Atlanta's Bogdan Bogdanovic and Golden State's Gary Payton II.
On Bogdanovic, Hughes said, "Just as there's no such thing as having too many three-and-D wings [Finney=Smith], it's also impossible to over-index on playmaking guards. Dallas could use one more of those—unless Jaden Hardy is ready to take on a larger role. Bogdanović is one of the best reserves in the league, capable of manning either guard spot while contributing reliable three-point shooting and enough facilitation to lead second units. Whether starting when Kyrie Irving needs a night off or coming off the bench to shred opposing backups, the seven-year vet would offer a huge lift to an already stacked rotation."
Bogdanovic was the third-highest scorer on the Hawks, averaging a career-high 16.9 PPG. If Dallas decided they needed a scoring punch off the bench, he could be a solid option, but the contracts would be tricky to figure out. Dallas is right up against the first tax apron and couldn't take on any extra salary, and Bogdanovic is set to make just north of $17 million this season. For the Mavs to match, it would have to be Maxi Kleber ($11 million), Dwight Powell ($4 million), and Jaden Hardy ($2 million). Two of those players are viewed as negative assets, and Dallas likely wouldn't want to give up much future draft capital for the 32 year old.
On Payton II, Hughes said, "Who wouldn't love an injection of chaotic defense next to [Luka] Dončić and Irving's offensive brilliance? Dallas doesn't have an ace disruptor in the backcourt, and Payton, when healthy, causes as much trouble as anyone at the position. Though the Mavs may never embrace a true uptempo attack, the deflections and steals Payton generates could nudge them into more frequent transition opportunities."
Payton has been a tremendous defensive player in his career but has had offensive struggles. He's in a similar mold as Derrick Jones Jr., who the Dallas Mavs let walk in free agency this offseason, but Payton is three inches shorter at 6'2". If Nico Harrison hadn't acquired Quentin Grimes this offseason, this could've made more sense. GPII is set to make $9 million in the last year of his deal, and the Warriors are also right up against the first tax apron. There's no realistic trade that could work out here, contract wise, but it would be fun to see Payton wreak havoc on opposing backcourts.
