Dallas Basketball

Betting Odds Hint at Hawks Center Landing with Mavs

As the Mavericks' search for a center upgrade has fallen short so far this offseason, the oddsmakers still think a trade is in their future.

Michael Mulford

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On most accounts, the Dallas Mavericks have had themselves a successful offseason after a disappointing 2023-24 season that saw them miss the postseason. 

So far this summer, the Mavs re-signed eight-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, landed forward Grant Williams via sign-and-trade, and reunited with sharpshooter Seth Curry. They also had a fantastic draft, turning the No. 10 pick and Davis Bertans into Dereck Lively II, OMax Prosper and Richaun Holmes.

And despite re-signing Mavs lifer Dwight Powell and acquiring Holmes, Dallas' efforts to upgrade at center still remain. According to the latest odds from Bet US Sportsbook, Atlanta Hawks big man Clint Capela is favored to be the Mavs' starting center on opening night.

Capela, who is heading into his fourth season with the Atlanta Hawks, has been linked to the Mavs for quite some time now. Dallas has had interest in acquiring the veteran big man since the beginning of the offseason, and despite discussions with Atlanta leading up to the draft, no trade has transpired. 

In those discussions, Atlanta preferred sending John Collins to Dallas instead of Capela in their initial talks around the NBA draft, but since Collins being moved to the Utah Jazz, the Hawks' asking price now reportedly includes either Josh Green or Jaden Hardy, which the Mavericks have balked at.

Essentially, it's a big game of chicken at this point as the two teams are hoping and waiting that the other side folds. 

For Dallas, their hopes stem from Atlanta's trade talks with the Toronto Raptors in pursuit of Pascal Siakam, which The Athletic's Shams Charania reported on Tuesday that the Hawks are the 'strongest suitor' around the league for the two-time All-Star. If the proposed deal would benefit from a third team getting involved, the Mavs are willing and ready to play ball if that means landing Capela.

And as for the Bet US odds for Capela's next team if not the Hawks? You guessed it – the Mavs as -150 favorites. 

Though they aren't always right, the oddsmakers are definitely not left in the dark on much. And with the amount of dialogue and speculation amongst these two teams, a trade happening prior to opening night is certainly feasible. 

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Michael Mulford
MICHAEL MULFORD

Michael Mulford is a writer/editor for Dallas Basketball, where he extensively covers the Dallas Mavericks. He also covers the Chicago Bulls as the Managing Editor for Bulls Wire of USA Today Sports Media Group. Mulford grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and graduated from the University of North Texas in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Recreation, Event, and Sports Management. He began his pursuit of sports writing in 2017 with Dallas Sports Fanatic, where he covered the Mavericks’ G League affiliate, Texas Legends. He then became the Managing Editor of Dallas Sports Fanatic just one year later and has covered the Mavericks as a credentialed media member since 2018, including covering numerous playoff games between 2021-22 and covering the team at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in 2019. In his time covering the Mavericks, Mulford has conducted numerous interviews for exclusive stories including with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, former Maverick and current VP of Basketball Ops Michael Finley, former Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson, and more. You can follow and interact with Mulford on Twitter at @TheMulf.

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