Lillard Undergos Surgery: Can Mavs Snag Covington From Blazers Fire Sale?

With Portland Trail Blazers' franchise cornerstone Damian Lillard having abdominal surgery, how could it affect the Dallas Mavericks? DallasBasketball.com has an idea.

"Shut it down! Let’s go home!"

Those were the iconic words of Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki as he joined the broadcast crew for a game back in 2012. 

Unfortunately for the Portland Trail Blazers, it appears that they could be following those words in a different light over the next couple of weeks as we get closer to the NBA trade deadline.

With the report of Damian Lillard undergoing abdominal surgery, which will sideline the already banged-up superstar for six-to-eight weeks, a fire sale in Portland feels imminent. And if it does happen, the Mavs have a legitimate chance to capitalize on Portland's unfortunate circumstances.

While Dallas' defense is as good as it's been in years, it's the offense that demands some tender love and care. Even so, though, why cap the defense's ceiling with the playoffs in mind? Who's to say this overall defensive performance as of late is sustainable? 

Although Dallas appears to lack the assets to obtain a landscape-changing superstar, a few second-round picks and a throw-in player could fetch the Mavs a player like Robert Covington, who has been somewhat disappointing for Portland this season.

Although Covington's time in Portland hasn't amounted to much, perhaps that has more to do with how the rest of the Blazers’ roster has been constructed over the years. Maybe it’s just time for a change of scenery.

Plugging Covington into a defense that’s already performing to an elite level will only enhance the Mavericks' chances of sustaining it in the postseason. But what would it cost for Dallas to obtain Covington?

It's a slim chance Portland gets the same return of which they sent out for the small-ball center, as the Rockets received two first-first round picks for him back in 2020.

Conversely, exchanging an expiring contract for another could be seen as a lateral move, but add a few second-round picks and perhaps that gets the deal done. Dallas shipping Willie Cauley-Stein, Trey Burke and two future seconds for Covington could make sense both financially and situationally for a team on the verge of a grand rebuild. 

Follow DallasBasketball.com for further updates on the trade market and everything else Dallas Mavericks.