Could Trading 10th Pick for Win-Now Piece Help Mavs Re-Sign Kyrie Irving?

With the NBA draft just a month away, Dallas' chances of re-signing Kyrie Irving could be enhanced if they use the 10th pick to trade for another veteran different-maker.

Following their disappointing finish to the season, the Dallas Mavericks landed in the lottery for the first time since 2018, when Luka Doncic found his way to the metroplex. But this go-around, Dallas may not be looking to keep the No. 10 pick for themselves.

On Friday's episode of "Brian Windhorst and the Hoop Collective," the topic of teams looking to trade their picks was discussed, and that list included the Mavericks. 

"Why did they tank? Because they're so stripped of assets that they needed the No. 10 pick as an asset," ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said.

Outside of Doncic, the list of assets that teams would be seeking from the Mavs in a big trade are slim. Young players like Josh Green and Jaden Hardy would likely bring the most back in a trade, as they showed to be important pieces to Dallas this season and going forward.

Unless a worthy win-now deal presents itself to pair more experienced help with Doncic and Kyrie Irving, though, the Mavs might opt to stick with their youth. But could Irving’s free agency impact that decision?

"Part of the way you might keep Kyrie is to make a deal around the draft that also helps Kyrie," Windhorst said. "If you want to retain Kyrie, you may want to do something there."

Luckily for Dallas, this year's draft looks to be deep within the lottery, so there will certainly be takers for the No. 10 pick if the team decides to trade it. It's just a matter of what is being offered to entice the Mavs to make a deal. 

In his exit interview following the end of the regular season, Mavs GM Nico Harrison preached the importance of upgrading Dallas' defense and rebounding this offseason, which makes you think the Mavericks will dangle the No. 10 pick along with the likes of Tim Hardaway Jr. in a potential deal to acquire a defensive anchor. Some names that have come up in Mavs trade speculation lately are Phoenix Suns’ Deandre Ayton and Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner.

Now, are there prospects that Dallas could target at No. 10 that could earn minutes on next season's roster and be an impact player for the future? Sure, but the clock is ticking for this group, and bringing in a veteran who is ready to compete for not just the playoffs, but for a championship as well, is what the Mavericks, Doncic, and Irving would seemingly prefer. 

"That's the situation that they're in: they have to be aggressive to get much better immediately," MacMahon said of the Mavericks.

Point blank, bringing in a rookie with the No. 10 pick likely isn't going to move the needle or get Irving even more enticed to return to Dallas, although it might be the smarter long-term move to make. But, being aggressive and using that pick to acquire a win-now piece? That could swing the momentum in the Mavs' favor for both an Irving return and for next season’s competitiveness.

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