Pacers All-Star Domantas Sabonis 'Realistic Trade Target' for Mavs?

The Pacers roster, including the 25-year-old Sabonis, is ripe for the picking. We're just not sure Dallas has what it takes to get involved in said picking.

DALLAS - The Dallas Mavericks cannot be ecstatic with the way their Luka Doncic-led roster has played. And we know the Indiana Pacers are also displeased, from the top of the organization to the locker room.

Can the two twains meet?

HoopsHype’s Frank Urbina is including Dallas as one of four “realistic” landing spots for Pacers All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis.

We would toss into this conversation the idea of Myles Turner being a name worth targeting, too, but let's stick with Urbina's thinking for now.

Sabonis would qualify as a target of Dallas' desire to add a "third star.'' At 6-11, he is a do-it-all big on offense. This year he's averaged 18.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.1 steals per contest. He's also shooting near 60 percent, a top-10 number in the NBA.

So what would it take to pry him loose? And can it be done without also sacrificing Kristaps Porzingis?

HoopsHype tries it ...

The first Mavs-Pacers deal suggested:

Indiana Pacers Get: Maxi Kleber, Reggie Bullock, Josh Green and two first-round picks.

Dallas Mavericks Get: Domantas Sabonis

Problems? We're not sure how enticing Dallas' way-future first-round picks are going to be, And none of those Dallas players mentioned move the needle ...

Because if they did, they'd be moving the needle for the Mavs.

HoopsHype's second idea includes parting ways with The Unicorn:

Indiana Pacers Get: Kristaps Porzingis and a first-round pick

Dallas Mavericks Get: Domantas Sabonis and Jeremy Lamb

This almost feels like "change for the sake of change,'' and maybe that's not an awful thing. Or maybe this can be viewed as a Dallas win, considering KP's injury issues ... which of course leads to the Indy ankle on "change for change.''

And remember, Dallas' goal as it begins to consider trades is to find a way to add to the Doncic-KP tandem, rather than just spinning its wheels by changing out equally capable bodies.

Having said all of that: The Pacers roster, including the 25-year-old Sabonis, is ripe for the picking. We're just not sure Dallas has what it takes to get involved in said picking.