Mavericks should trade for Raptors guard Goran Dragic to salvage offseason

The Dallas Mavericks’ offseason has been rather underwhelming, but the team can redeem themselves by acquiring Goran Dragic to team with Luka Doncic.

The Dallas Mavericks accomplished their goal of locking in superstar guard Luka Doncic to a five-year supermax contract extension, but other than that, the front office did not do much to help propel the team up the Western Conference ladder by giving him help. However, the team does have an option they can pursue who just so happens to have chemistry with Doncic.

Goran Dragic was part of the sign-and-trade deal with the Miami Heat that sent him and Precious Achiuwa to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Kyle Lowry. While Dragic is a member of the Raptors right now, he revealed during an interview with a Slovenian news network that “Toronto is not [his] preferred destination” and that he has “bigger aspirations.”

He apologized for the way those comments came off, but if that really is how he feels, the Mavericks should jump at the opportunity to reunite the two Slovenian teammates. But what would it take to facilitate a move?

What would it take for Mavericks to acquire Goran Dragic?

The Raptors are in an obvious rebuild following the Lowry sign-and-trade, and Dragic is focused on the aforementioned “aspirations,” as he was a member of the Heat team that made it to the NBA Finals two years ago. There is probably no greater fit for Dragic than Dallas because of how well he has played with Doncic on Team Slovenia.

Tim Cato and Blake Murphy of The Athletic discussed what it would potentially take for the Mavericks to land Dragic to the Raptors. Cato says that he imagined the Mavericks offered Dwight Powell and Trey Burke (or Willie Caulie-Stein) for Dragic, to which the Raptors countered with Josh Green and Tyrell Terry to include with Powell. Meanwhile, Murphy states that it could take Green or a future conditional first-round draft pick for Toronto to agree to a deal.

While gaining Dragic would be great for the Mavericks, they should not willingly give up Green or a conditional draft pick for a 35-year-old guard who is set to become a free agent next summer. The Mavs need to try and convince the Raptors to take Terry instead of those two options in a potential Dragic deal.

The question that remains is — which team will budge first in trade demands? It will certainly be something to follow as we lead right into the 2021-22 NBA season.