Mavs 'Make Sense' as Trade Destination for Pacers' Buddy Hield

The Pacers could trade Buddy Hield soon after contract talks stalled. When analyzing potential trade destinations, the Mavs were included among other teams.

DALLAS — With less than a week until the Dallas Mavericks open training camp, various teams around the NBA are increasing trade activity. Is there a potential deal for the Mavs to upgrade the roster around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving after an already busy offseason?

Much of the trade market is focused on Damian Lillard and James Harden, but more names are drawing attention. Buddy Hield is among the players available for trade after his contract talks with the Indiana Pacers stalled, resulting in both sides concluding that a trade would be the best outcome. He is set to play out the final season of his four-year, $94 million contract, making it important to ensure his Bird rights are held by a team that is on the same page in contract talks ahead of next summer. 

When surveying the trade landscape for Hield, HoopsHype's Yossi Gozlan identified the Mavs among the top potential landing spots. The rationale begins with the opportunity to add an elite sharpshooter to a team that is proficient at creating a high volume of open looks. 

"The Dallas Mavericks are already a strong three-point shooting team but could still use another reliable player to add to their rotation," Gozlan wrote.

Hield is coming off a season averaging 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 80 games. He continues to be a highly efficient perimeter shooting threat despite frequently taking tough looks. He finished his 2022-23 campaign shooting a robust 42.5 percent from 3-point range on 677 total attempts. 

Some league observers see there being real pressure on the Mavs to achieve much greater results than the underwhelming 38-44 record the team finished with in 2022-23. Dallas faced major criticism for tanking the final two games of the regular season and missing the play-in tournament. Coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance, surely, Doncic had greater aspirations. The fear of the possible ramifications for underachievement in consecutive season is at the forefront of the basis for making a win-now trade of this nature.

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"The pressure is on for them to maximize the roster around Luka Doncic after such a disappointing 2022-23 season," Gozlan wrote. "Hield would be yet another undersized guard, but the Mavericks haven’t had any qualms with rostering too many of them over the past few seasons."

In terms of the mechanics behind a potential trade, HoopsHype's hypothetical trade construction floated including either Tim Hardaway Jr. or Richaun Holmes for salary matching purposes. Given the Pacers would be taking on future salary for the 2024-25 season, the trade idea slates them as including a future first-round pick. 

"The Mavericks could match for Hield with the salaries of Tim Hardaway Jr. or Richaun Holmes," Gozlan wrote. "Due to the remaining two years on Hardaway Jr. and Holmes’ contracts, the Mavericks may need to include a first-round pick to entice the Pacers."

There would need to be long-term consideration for how the Mavs navigate any trade package that involves parting with a future first-round pick. The team is still limited to only outright parting with a 2027 first-round selection until the final first-round pick owed to the New York Knicks conveys. There is a top 10 protection that carries through 2025. 

By not trading a future first-round pick before next offseason, the Mavs would maintain the ability to produce a more robust trade package with greater aspirations for targets in mind. If the Mavs convey their 2024 first-round pick to the Knicks by finishing outside of the top 10 of the draft order, they could package first-round picks in 2025, 2027, and 2031 next summer. 

The Mavs could also throw in three future second-round picks, and two first-round pick swaps in 2026 and 2028. With more young talent like Jaden Hardy, Dereck Lively II, Olivier Maxence-Prosper, and Josh Green, there is additional value that could be included. 

With limited trade resources, would pursuing a shooting upgrade on the wing be the right move? There are still some short-term questions about the center rotation and a possible need to add size on the wing. 

Lively has intriguing long-term potential, but in the short-term, Dwight Powell, Richaun Holmes, and Maxi Kleber will compete for playing time early on, which leaves room to benefit from an upgrade. Staying patient with the position group could prevent further use of burning assets, especially after using a first-round pick to acquire Christian Wood for just one season.

As for the starting three spot, Hardaway Jr was picked on defensively alongside Doncic and Irving last season. With Green entering his fourth NBA season, the ideal outcome would be for him to overtake that role, but regardless, he'd still give up size to some of the league's premier wings.