5 Potential trade targets from Bulls’ turmoil for the Dallas Mavericks
Three weeks ago, the Dallas Mavericks were one of the hottest teams in the league. The team had just gone on a three-game winning streak and beat the numbered one-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.
However, flash forward to now, and Dallas has been on an up-and-down roller coaster. Last week, the Mavs suffered losses to the Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans without their star players.
Things somewhat improved this week when the Mavs got their revenge against the Pelicans. The team, however, suffered a 127-110 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
5 Potential trade targets from Bulls’ turmoil for the Dallas Mavericks
The problem can correlated to a variety of things. For starters, injuries were the main issue. All-Star Luka Doncic missed three games this month due to a sprained ankle. Rookie Dereck Lively II, too, missed a couple of games with an ankle injury.
One player who has been out for an extended period is guard Dante Exum. The Mavericks guard has been a valuable asset for the team this season. Exum’s brilliant presence on both sides of the ball allowed him to become a primary starter for the team.
Other issues like defense and rebounding have also been an issue. Against the Lakers Wednesday, Dallas allowed the opposition to score 62 points inside the paint. Star Anthony Davis dominated the Mavs down low as he finished the game with 28 points and 12 rebounds. The same trend occurred on Monday when Dallas allowed the Pelicans to score 60 points inside the paint.
Rebounding is another concern. Currently, the Mavs are tied for the sixth-worst rebounding average in the league. Doncic and Lively II are the only players averaging more than seven boards a game.
So, its without question the Mavs’ need an upgrade to their roster. Some concerns to address include adding another big man or defensive anchor to the squad.
One team that could fill Dallas’ needs is the Chicago Bulls. The Eastern Conference could be sellers at the trade deadline as they have toiled around the idea of trading All-Star Zach Lavine
But, what about the rest of the roster? What other players could Chicago trade?
Here are five candidates the Mavs should target from the Bulls.
5. Torrey Craig
The first player the Mavs should consider is small forward Torrey Craig. The NBA veteran is in his seventh season as he has been a valuable role player for Chicago.
This season, Craig is shooting 38.2 percent from the 3-point line. Last season, he knocked down 39.5 percent of his long-range attempts. This is an improvement from two seasons ago when Craig struggled to shoot above 33 percent from the 3-point line.
Defensively, he does a great job using his body to stop players from scoring down low. He is interchangeable at the small forward and power forward positions. Craig’s big body frame stands out, as he isn’t afraid to take a charge or guard the biggest opponent on the court.
Craig was also doing well before getting injured. During December, he averaged 9.6 points per game and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 53.6 percent from behind the arc.
While trading for Craig may not be a necessity, his presence alone could replicate the success of Exum. Like the Mavs guard, he can get it done on both sides of the court, and he would be a step up from some of the other players on the Mavs’ bench.
All in all, trading for Craig wouldn’t be that bad. It’s likely he would come at a cheaper price than any other of his teammates.
