NBA Trade Deadline 2020: One trade every team should make

Dallas Mavericks – Courtney Lee for Miami Heat’s James Johnson and 2022 second-round pick (less favorable of 76ers or Nuggets)

Reason for Dallas: If there’s anything lacking alongside uber-star Luka Doncic, it’s a wing who can dribble and bang on the defensive end. The Mavericks have lost a few games lately because when Doncic gives the ball to his teammates in clutch possessions, there’s not many of them who can make something happen against rotating defenses. James Johnson can do that, possibly better than any of the forwards already on the roster other than Kristaps Porzingis. Johnson started the year out of shape, and he has long failed as teams’ purported answers to roster holes, but the Mavericks have a history of success with athletic veterans who’ve never been able to put it together. If Tim Hardaway Jr. can be so successful in Dallas, why not Johnson? He can defend the monster wings in the conference, either LeBron James or Kawhi Leonard, for 10-15 minutes a game. He can dribble and make plays. This deal has great potential for success for Dallas, without much downside. The Mavs would trade an expiring deal for a two-year deal, but Lee isn’t a contributor, and the pick gives some asset in case Johnson is no more than dead money for Dallas.

Reason for Miami: This one’s simple. Johnson has fallen out of favor in Miami, and he’s not a contributor there any longer. The Heat are a fun, surprisingly good team, but they have plenty of dead money on the roster. They would trade Johnson for an expiring deal, which would be a tidy bit of magic, clearing up cap space for the Heat to build their team with more flexibility going forward. The second-round pick isn’t a great loss, as it would probably end up in the late-50s, and the Heat already have a number of young contributors who clamor for playing time. This deal would be unsexy, but also an unmitigated financial win for Miami.