The 2025 NBA trade deadline is less than four weeks away, and despite all of the trade talk around the league, the Dallas Mavericks are focused on winning games while their superstar tandem is sidelined due to injuries. Dallas won their second game in a row on Thursday night, defeating the Portland Trail Blazers at home, and they are beginning to rediscover their rhythm despite this difficult January stretch. Jaden Hardy, Dereck Lively II, and P.J. Washington led the way for Dallas last night, each scoring 20 or more points, and things are looking up for them despite their five-game losing skid earlier in the week.
With Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving out, Hardy has taken on a significant role, and his strong performances have put an end to any trade speculation from fans. While Hardy’s name has not been mentioned in any specific trade speculations, a few other Mavericks players have. Maxi Kleber and Quentin Grimes reportedly “have a market” around the league, and Dallas has long been expected to shop Kleber ahead of the deadline. The Mavericks are looking to add frontcourt depth ahead of the season’s final stretch, and a trade for a defensive-minded wing could be just what they need to make a run to the NBA Finals.
The Mavericks should be cautious about trading their first-round picks.
While their aggressive trades for Washington and Daniel Gafford helped them reach the Finals last season, they may need to tone down their use of first-round draft capital this year. However, they can still look to improve their roster, as they are one of the most active teams in the NBA ahead of the deadline.
The Mavs only have two tradeable first-round picks at their disposal this time around (2025 and 2031), and they can’t afford to trade both of them. Building via the draft in today’s NBA is crucial, and while dealing both first-round picks coupled with matching money could bring them back an impact player, they would be risking too much of their future for comfort. Teams like the Phoenix Suns have ended themselves in nightmare situations by moving all of their first-round picks, and they remain one of the most important trade commodities that a franchise can have. They allow the team to handpick a player to join their squad on a team-friendly contract and help them develop their game from the ground up within the organization.
Nico Harrison has a history of striking gold in the draft, having picked Lively II and Hardy in consecutive years, and the Mavs keeping their first-round pick this year would provide him with another excellent opportunity to draft another NBA-ready role player. While the Mavs’ pick is unlikely to be in the lottery like it was in 2023, that doesn’t mean they can’t find exceptional value in the 20-30 range and draft someone who can play substantial minutes off the bench.
With the new CBA, selecting players is becoming increasingly crucial, and given that the Mavericks could have up to six free agents this summer, picking a young player to replace one of them could be a good decision.
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