The Dallas Mavericks had one of the more controversial drafts in the league, seemingly reaching for Morez Johnson with their No. 9 pick. The Dusty May connection is obvious, but they still don't address their shooting woes with the Johnson Jr. pick.
Regardless of whether the Mavs should have drafted Brayden Burries instead or traded down a couple of spots if they were dead set on selecting Johnson, Mavericks president Masai Ujiri is certainly not done.
More offseason moves are coming, and the draft may have given us a better idea of who may be on his way out in Dallas.
P.J. Washington
Similar to last season, the Mavs have an abundance of frontcourt players once again. With the addition of Johnson Jr., Dallas has to create room for their new rookie.
The most obvious trade candidate is P.J. Washington. Not only because he is redundant with Johnson, but also because he should have enough trade value to bring back a good haul for Dallas.
Washington has his injury concerns, to be sure, as he missed at least 25 games in back-to-back seasons. He also struggled with his shot last season, but he is a valuable and versatile forward. He can shoot, defend multiple positions, and do a little bit of everything, allowing him to fit anywhere.
There should be suitors for Washington's services. If the Mavs can move him for some backcourt help and draft capital, they shouldn't hesitate.
Daniel Gafford
Gafford can also bring back a solid return for Dallas. Now that the lottery rules have changed, more teams have already tried to make magic this offseason. This has already caused lottery teams to trade for centers like Nic Claxton and Isaiah Stewart over the last few days.
There are still plenty of center-needy teams like the Lakers, Pelicans, and the Clippers. Gafford is a good fit for any of these teams.
Dallas presumably wants to give Johnson a look at center in small-ball lineups. Dereck Lively II should also be healthy and available to start the season. There is very little reason for the Mavs to pay Gafford over $17 million in this frontcourt rotation. If they can move him for more perimeter play, they can easily find a backup center in free agency for much cheaper.
Naji Marshall
Marshall is a solid role player who has exceeded all expectations in Dallas over the last two seasons. The Mavs don't really have a good reason to trade him, except the fact that he is on a team-friendly, expiring contract that pays him $9.4 million. Marshall should have solid trade value on that deal, and Dallas would be wise to sell high on the 28-year-old forward.
Plus, it's not like Marshall is a good fit on this team after the addition of Johnson Jr. The weakest part of Marshall's game is his outside shooting. Johnson Jr. will not help on that front either, creating spacing issues around Flagg.
Dallas needs to add more shooting around Flagg so he can have enough space to operate. As good as he has been for the Mavs, turning Marshall into a shooter makes more sense.
Add us as a preferred source on Google