Mavs Linked to Suns' Deandre Ayton & Bucks' Khris Middleton in Trade Rumors

The Dallas Mavericks needs some key upgrades this summer, and they could have Phoenix Suns big man Deandre Ayton and Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton on their trade radar.

Dalton Trigg | May 1, 2023

In this story:

The Dallas Mavericks have a lot of holes to fill on their roster, but they might not have the trade assets to address them all in one offseason. That could change, though, depending on how things go in the NBA Draft Lottery, which will take place on May 16. The Mavs have the 10th-best odds of winning the top pick, and they're due for some good fortune with how all of their other lottery appearances have gone.

Despite having to wait to see what their full extent of potential trade assets will end up being, the Mavs could already be planning to pursue certain upgrades regardless of their draft positioning. According to a report from The Athletic, league sources tell them that Phoenix Suns big man Deandre Ayton and Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton are two possible names on the Mavs' radar.

"Some names that have been floated as possibilities include the Phoenix Suns’ Deandre Ayton and the Milwaukee Bucks’ Khris Middleton," Tim Cato wrote. "But whether either party has mutual interest, or whether Dallas has the resources to acquire them, won’t be answered until this summer."

In that same report, Cato mentions that multiple league sources consider Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green and Jaden Hardy as "the only [non-Luka Doncic] players who are seen with clear positive value around the league." If that is truly the case, then things could get interesting for Dallas this summer whether a trade for Ayton or Middleton is in the cards or not, as other teams' roster shakeups could come into play.

The Mavs still have their 2027 first-round pick that can be included in any potential deals, and they can move this year's pick as well – assuming they keep it – after they make the selection. Ayton and Middleton would definitely be upgrades for this Mavs' roster if individual deals happened, but could a package of Hardaway, Green, Hardy and their remaining picks bring them back a better package deal like Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors?

That's just one example we have in mind, and there will be many other potential trade scenarios we'll brainstorm here at DallasBasketball.com in the coming weeks and months. One thing is for sure though: the Mavs need more than just a single roster move to help out Luka Doncic ... and hopefully Kyrie Irving as well if they can retain him in free agency. Dallas needs multiple upgrades, and only time will tell if it has enough in the asset cupboard to pull that off before next season begins.

Follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter @dalton_trigg.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Dallas Mavericks? Click Here.

Follow DallasBasketball.com on Twitter and Facebook.

Catch up on the latest Mavs Step Back Podcast episodes and be sure to SUBSCRIBE:

Published May 1, 2023

DALTON TRIGG

Dalton Trigg is the Editor-In-Chief for Dallas Basketball, as well as the Executive Editor overseeing Inside The Rockets, Inside The Spurs, All Knicks, and The Magic Insider. He is the founder and host for the Mavs Step Back Podcast, which is a proud part of the Blue Wire podcast network. Trigg graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Business and Economic Development with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship in 2016. After spending a few years with multiple Dallas Mavericks-related blogs, including SB Nation’s Mavs Moneyball, Trigg joined DallasBasketball.com as a staff writer in 2018 and never looked back. At the start of 2022, he was promoted to the EIC title he holds now. Through the years, Trigg has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, Mavs GM Nico Harrison, now-retired legend Dirk Nowitzki and many other current/former players and team staffers. Many of those interviews and other articles by Trigg have been aggregated by other well-known sports media websites, such as Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and others. You can find Trigg on all major social media channels, but his most prevalent platform is on Twitter. Whether it’s posting links to his DBcom work, live-tweeting Mavs games or merely giving his opinions on things going on with Dallas and the rest of the NBA, the daily content never stops rolling. For any inquiries, please email Dalton@MavsStepBack.com.