NBA Trade Rumors: 7 fringe contenders that need to make a deal

Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks entered the 2020-21 season as a buzzy candidate to finish among the top four seeds in the Western Conference. Instead, they’re currently 13-15 and may have to survive the play-in tournament to earn their playoff spot.

Luka Doncic is playing like an MVP candidate, averaging 29.1 points, 9.4 assists and 8.6 rebounds per game, but he’ll need more help for the Mavericks to contend for a title this year.

Kristaps Porzingis is rounding into form after missing the first few weeks of the season to recover from a torn meniscus, although he’s still a step slow defensively. The Mavericks are allowing 119.5 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor compared to 108.7 per 100 with him off, which is the biggest defensive on/off split of any Dallas rotation player.

The Mavericks’ historic offense has cooled off a bit, too. After averaging an NBA-record 115.9 points per 100 possessions last year, they’re down to 112.9 per 100 this year, which ranks ninth league-wide. Meanwhile, they’re 27th in defensive rating, allowing 114.6 points per 100 possessions.

The Mavericks already owe their 2021 and 2023 first-round picks to the New York Knicks thanks to the Porzingis trade, which limits the draft compensation they could send out in a deal. But James Johnson’s $16.0 million expiring contract gives them the salary-matching ammunition they’d need to pull off a substantial trade.