Dallas Mavericks: 3 possible additions that make sense

The Dallas Mavericks seem done with moves this free agency period. However, with owner Marc Cuban, anything is possible and there are still moves that can be made.

Rumors have been swirling around that Dallas has looked into trading for Indiana Pacers guard Jeremy Lamb. Then again, we have heard this story before. Every summer, it is all talk but no action.

With training camp arriving within the next couple of months, there is still plenty of time to make changes.

Here are three possible player additions beneficial to the Dallas Mavericks.

Some may surprise you and some may not. we start with the man we alluded to earlier.

1. Jeremy Lamb

Right off the bat, I want to address the Lamb rumors. The first thing to examine is his contract with Indiana. Currently, Lamb is in the final year of his contract and expected to be paid 10.5 million.

If you ask me, I believe Dallas should be all in. Last season, the team’s biggest struggles were driven from the lack of wing production. When you look at the roster’s depth, there was not much for the team to work for.

Basically when it came to guards who could switch between shooting guard and small forward, the only big options consisted of Tim Hardaway Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Green.

The difference between Lamb and those three players, is the current Pacer is interchangeable at those positions.

Some of his highlights include his ability to score from all over. Last season, Lamb averaged 10 points per game in just 36 games. Some key contributions came from his ability to shot from mid-range and drive to the basket.

At 29, Lamb has matured as a player. However, some major concerns include his inability to shoot consistently from the three. Whenever Lamb had a high shooting percentage from beyond the arc, the team won, but whenever he struggled, the team followed as well.

Overall though, trading for Lamb would allow the team to use multiple players at the two and three position. Basically count me in.

2. Goran Dragic

Another trade I am all in for is Toronto Raptors guard Goran Dragic. We all know the story, Dragic and Luka Donic are friends and they both want to play with each other. To stir the pot even more, almost every Dallas fan is rooting for this to happen.

The problem is, the Mavs just signed former Knick Frank Ntilikina. While this trade still seems like a long shot, I too am rooting for this to happen.

Unlike Ntilikinaa, Dragic is an already a proven veteran who can have an immediate impact. Over his NBA career he has averaged 13.9 points to go with 4.8 assists and 2.4 turnovers. Not bad for the European guard.

Some of his key accomplishments include making the all-star game two years ago and being named the FIBA EuroBasketball MVP in 2017. (While the MVP one may not be huge in NBA standards, it does put him close to the same status as Doncic.

While Dragic would be a short term answer, the idea of pairing him with two current all-stars draws so many comparisons.

Just imagine a top tier point guard dishing to an all-scorer and a big man who can shot from three. How fun would this be. If Ntilikina does not work out, Dallas should definitely shift their attention elsewhere.

3. Demarcus Cousins

One final player no one is talking is former all-star Demarcus Cousins. Yes Cousins is way past his prime, but he did show flashes of his ability to contribute on the court.

Last season he averaged 8.9 points to tag along 6.4 rebounds.

While he did not get much playing time, he contributed mightily in the conference semifinals. Against the Phoenix Suns, he put in 8.2 points per game. He really showed out in game 1. In the first game of the series he scored 12 points, four threes and one three-pointer. All this in just 13 minutes.

One of his biggest weaknesses is his lack of rebounding. Over the course of his career, he boards numbers have not been as “powerful.” Last season he had 4.5 rebounds. Compare that to two season ago where he had 7.6 rebounds and 8.2 the season before that.

The last time he averaged double digit rebounding was during the 2017-2018 campaign.

While Cousins is not the same all-star from years ago, he is still a big men who Dallas lacks. Adding him as a rotating player would not be a bad solution. You can still have Dwight Powell or Kristaps Porzingis start at center, and if needed he would  relieve the pressure from both players.

While most of these signs/trades seem unrealistic, I am rooting for Dallas to make even more changes.

If any, Lamb is the most likely acquisition that has potential. Otherwise Mavs fans, let’s not get our hopes too high.