How Mavs Can Fill Biggest Roster Needs with This Nets Trade

The Dallas Mavericks need an upgrade at the starting power forward and backup center positions, and a trade for Dorian Finney-Smith and Nic Claxton with the Brooklyn Nets could work for both sides. DallasBasketball.com details how.

With the NBA's trade deadline just one month away, front-office phones around the league are bound to start ringing off the hook with many different deal proposals being discussed. And honestly, those phones have probably already been working a great deal over the last few weeks.

Whether the Dallas Mavericks will pull off a trade or not has yet to be seen, but one thing is for sure: they'll at least be active in talks, trying to upgrade their roster around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to solidify their standing as a title contender.

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Dallas' two biggest needs are an upgrade at power forward – something multiple reports have confirmed the Mavs are actively looking into – and an upgrade at the backup center behind 19-year-old breakout rookie big man Dereck Lively II.

Although it likely wouldn't be cheap, the Mavs could potentially fill both of those needs with one Brooklyn Nets trade to bring Dorian Finney-Smith back to Dallas, as well as fifth-year center Nic Claxton.

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Despite no longer being a starter for the Nets since Cam Johnson returned from injury, Finney-Smith has still having a great season, averaging 9.9 points and 4.9 rebound while shooting a career-best 41.1 percent from deep. Claxton still starts at center for Brooklyn and is playing well with averages of 12.0 points and 9.8 rebounds while shooting 62.7 percent overall, but he's also on an expiring contract, meaning he could leave Brooklyn for nothing in six months.

So what would it cost the Mavs to snag both Finney-Smith and Claxton? As far as fair trade for both sides goes, this is our best guess: Mavs receive: Dorian Finney-Smith, Nic Claxton. Nets receive: Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green, 2027 first-round pick swap.

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The Mavs have reportedly been reluctant to include Josh Green in trade talks, but perhaps that could change if it means not only welcoming back a 3-and-D forward that helped you get to the Western Conference Finals in 2022, but also a good-quality big man to share minutes with Lively.

Stay tuned to DallasBasketball.com in the coming weeks, as we'll keep you up to date with any and all trade rumors involving the Mavs while also providing extensive game coverage at the same time.