Mavericks rumors: Dallas looking to trade knockdown shooter, two centers

After three days of free agency, the Dallas Mavericks have seemed to be one of the lesser busy teams in the league.

They re-signed Kyrie Irving and Dwight Powell and signed Seth Curry and Dante Exum. Dallas has made a few moves but hasn’t made the flashy moves that fans may want.

Dallas also made a draft night trade to acquire Richaun Holmes, and they drafted Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Dereck Lively II. Both drafted players are expected to be pieces in the rotation, but Holmes, along with two other players, may get traded soon.

According to Tim Cato of The Athletic, the Mavericks are trying to trade (subscription required) Tim Hardaway Jr., JaVale McGee, and Holmes. Dallas made it obvious that Hardaway Jr. could be on the trade block after signing a similar player in Curry. Holmes and McGee were both already on the trade block on draft night, as Dallas was trying to work out a deal for Phoenix’s Deandre Ayton.

Hardaway Jr. was part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade in 2019 and has been with Dallas ever since. During his time in Dallas, he has averaged 15.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 37.8 percent from downtown. He has been a valuable player for the Mavericks, but his time in Dallas may come to a close soon.

Along with Hardaway Jr., the Mavericks are looking to trade Holmes and McGee. Both McGee and Holmes are centers, which is a weak spot for the Mavs, but Dallas needs a starting-caliber center. If Dallas were to trade only McGee, they could potentially roll with a center rotation of Holmes, Powell, and Lively II. It would be another year of a platoon system for the center position, but it would allow Lively II to learn from two established veterans.

If Dallas trades both Holmes and McGee, then they would almost certainly be getting a center in return. The Mavs couldn’t expect Powell and Lively II to handle all the minutes at center. Powell is a backup at best, and Lively II may need some time to develop into a starting center.

If Dallas can successfully trade Holmes, Hardaway Jr., and McGee, they would be shedding almost $35 million of annual salary combined between the three players. This would be huge for Dallas, as the new CBA is tougher on how teams can build.

Stay tuned to see which moves the Mavs make, and if they trade McGee, Holmes, and Hardaway Jr. We’ll have you covered with all the latest free agency rumors and news surrounding the team, so stay tuned.