It's a new era of Dallas Mavericks basketball. Centered on Cooper Flagg and on the future rather than the present, the Mavs have officially embraced their rebuild.
Yet, they still haven't moved on from some of their valuable veterans from the previous era. The next order of business will be to get the most they can for Kyrie Irving, Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington over the next year. In these deals, the priority will be to add future assets. Most importantly, young players with upside who can be a part of the future.
This makes the Portland Trail Blazers an ideal trade partner. Between now and the trade deadline, the Mavs and the Blazers should explore various trade possibilities, especially involving Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe.
Henderson & Sharpe are the types of high-upside targets the Mavs should prioritize
The Blazers made the surprising move to trade for Ja Morant this summer. Now, they have a guard rotation consisting of Jrue Holiday, Damian Lillard, and Morant, worth over $90 million next season. These three veterans will play most of the minutes in the two guard spots.
This should certainly make Henderson expendable. Heading into his fourth season in the league after missing most of last year with an injury, the 22-year-old point guard might be on the move. He is eligible for an extension as he is entering the final year of his deal. The Blazers should be interested in exploring what they can get for him in a trade rather than giving him a lucrative, multi-year extension.
Henderson is the type of high-upside young player the Mavs need to be targeting. He has the potential to be the long-term starter in Dallas. Considering that Portland needs more frontcourt depth, a trade involving one of the Mavs' power forwards, most likely Washington, could work.
Sharpe is another player who may be on the move. His extension kicks in this season, when he will make $20 million. Similar to Scoot, he hasn't lived up to expectations after being the seventh overall pick in 2022. But the combination of his shooting, scoring, and athleticism is still breathtaking. His playmaking, ball-handling, and defense still need work, but he is only 23 years old and has plenty of offensive juice.
Other than Max Christie, the Mavs don't have a long-term starting shooting guard. Sharpe is a worthy gamble to see if he can be that player. But if the Mavs are going to get one of these guards, will Christie be involved in a trade? Or focus on giving Portland a big man?
Dallas should be willing to give up draft capital or a young player to sweeten the deal for either Henderson or Sharpe. The Blazers have made offseason moves that suggest they are at least open to considering trading both players. It would be wise for the Mavs to at least test the waters.
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