Mavericks would be logical trade suitors for Cavs’ Tristan Thompson

After a crushing Achilles injury to big man Dwight Powell, the Dallas Mavericks could quickly emerge as a top trade suitor for Cleveland Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson. We’ll take a look at a few possibilities.

With what he’s shown throughout the 2019-20 season, I would imagine that Cleveland Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson is going to have trade rumors surrounding him heat up more and more leading up to the February 6 NBA trade deadline.

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Thompson is on track for having career-highs in points (12.6), rebounds (10.6), assists (2.1) and is on track for tying a career-best in steals per game this season, according to Basketball Reference.

TT is clearly the unquestioned leader of the Cavaliers, and even in Year 9 with the Cavs, the team that drafted him in 2011, he’s as relentless on the glass on both ends as he was early on in his career.

Along with Thompson being a quality team/help defender and/or back-line communicator and being able to switch out pretty competently for a big on to perimeter players at times in pick-and-roll coverage, TT is a terrific screener for pieces such as Darius Garland, Collin Sexton and Cedi Osman for Cleveland, too.

Nonetheless, given that Thompson is playing so well this season and has always been considered an outstanding teammate that’s so unselfish on the floor, once again, the trade calls from other NBA teams you’d think will start coming a bunch, feasibly right up until the deadline.

One of those that could quickly emerge as a Thompson trade suitor is realistically the Dallas Mavericks.

Dallas unfortunately sustained a big blow to their rotation and postseason hopes against teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and/or Utah Jazz, because Dallas big man Dwight Powell reportedly suffered a right Achilles injury on Tuesday, per Mavericks PR, that the Mavs fear is likely season-ending. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon had this update following that, and a few local media members suggested the Mavs as a potential Thompson trade suitor, following the Powell injury news.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium also reported that the Mavs fear that Powell’s done for the year.

Mavs PR would also then announce that Powell, is indeed, done for the year, due to an Achilles rupture.

Anyway, Sports Illustrated’s Sam Amico and Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz suggested that given Powell’s injury, Thompson to Dallas could be a possibility, given their similar skill sets as high quality rollers, defenders that can switch out competently and both clearing the glass on both ends.

Powell was averaging 9.4 points and 5.7 rebounds in 26.5 minutes per game in 2019-20, and had the best net rating among regular starters for Dallas this season, according to NBA.com.

Amico, for reference, hit on how Dallas could be interested in the “available” Cavs’ bigs, and I’d think that’s referring to Kevin Love, and the expiring John Henson and Thompson. Swartz mentioned Thompson specifically.

We’ll get into a potential deal now.

A logical Cavs-Mavs deal

Now, I wouldn’t want the Cavs to just gift Thompson away, but considering it would seem to be unclear if TT can warrant a first-round pick return, I could see this being a reasonable trade.

The trade works on Tradenba.com, for reference.

The key for the Cavs here is that Courtney Lee is on an expiring $12.8 million contract, and though I wouldn’t expect much to be provided from the 34-year-old Lee, the 26-year-old Dorian Finney-Smith is a player that can guard 3’s and 4’s at a high level.

Considering the Cavaliers’ desperate need for natural wing depth outside of Cedi Osman and with Dylan Windler reportedly sidelined the rest of the season due to complications with his stress reaction in his left leg, along with Kevin Porter Jr. being reportedly sidelined seemingly through the All-Star break, acquiring Finney-Smith could really help Cleveland in coming years defensively.

Finney-Smith is a versatile defender that has great instincts both on and off the ball, and though having the playmaking of Luka Doncic has clearly helped, Finney-Smith is hitting three-pointers at a 37.6% clip, and has posted a career-best 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in 2019-20, as noted by Basketball Reference.

Though the Mavs, who have developed Finney-Smith well, wouldn’t exactly love trading him, Thompson could feasibly have a bigger impact, anyhow, as I’d argue Powell does.

Similarly to Powell, Thompson would carve out a bunch of space for Luka Doncic, along with Delon Wright and/or Jalen Brunson and TT is another constant lob threat.

I’m sure when you factor in Thompson’s postseason experience, and his seamless style of play on both ends, I would think Dallas would welcome him for Finney-Smith and Lee, who hasn’t played much in the last two years and has played just 80 minutes this season, per Basketball Reference.

Along with that, this trade would be following Alfonzo McKinnie, whom the Cavs will reportedly sign to a second 10-day contract on Thursday, according to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, having his second 10-day contract expire, which would be set to expire on February 1 after Cleveland plays the Warriors. The Cavaliers would have roster flexibility for this mentioned trade with Dallas.

Switching back to looking at the deal, additionally, though it wouldn’t be a first-round pick, which the Cavaliers are reportedly seeking in a potential Tristan Thompson trade, sources told Fedor, Dallas’ second-rounder via the Golden State Warriors, which is almost a first-rounder at 31st overall and they’d have, per Tankathon, given their pick swap, could give the Cavs a nice developmental prospect to develop, such as a big, in coming years.

Fedor believes that if the Cavaliers got an offer of a player return back of near salary-matching but of more developmental pieces, such as what they got in exchange for Jordan Clarkson from the Utah Jazz along with two second-round picks, that Cleveland would “balk,” and hold on to TT through the deadline.

To me, though, while I’d understand if Cleveland wanted to keep Thompson if a first-round pick doesn’t come, it’s unclear if Thompson would want to sign long-term with the Cavs this offseason, and losing TT for nothing, considering the Cavs aren’t going to be big free agent players in this rebuild I wouldn’t think, would be far from ideal.

I wouldn’t blame TT if he went elsewhere as a veteran and tried to play for a contender or wanted a change of scenery, either.

Plus, given that acquiring a first-rounder from Dallas would bring on issues involving the Stepien Rule of not being able to trade consecutive first-round picks, the Golden State second-rounder would not be nothing for Cleveland general manager Koby Altman and company. Dallas could feasibly remove their protections on their future first-rounders headed to the New York Knicks, but Dallas seemingly likely wouldn’t do so.

Now just as FanSided’s Cody Williams suggested, and there would seem to be rumors upcoming, as Amico seemed to reference, the Mavs would make for an intriguing trade landing spot for Kevin Love.

While it could be intriguing, it’s hard to see the real Love here

Love wants to be traded, according to Fedor, and actions and reports throughout this season have definitely shown that to be the case, it seems.

A Kristaps Porzingis and Kevin Love frontcourt, coupled with Doncic’s playmaking and driving ability would make for plenty of fireworks. Williams’ potential deal included Dallas sending the Cleveland Cavaliers the aforementioned Powell, Tim Hardaway Jr. and the Mavs’ 2022 first-round pick, but that was before the Powell injury.

Again, though, a hoop there would be the Stepien Rule, as the Mavs don’t have a first-round pick in 2021 (and did not have one in 2019, by the way).

Additionally, to me, I wouldn’t think without Powell, who would be a nice piece to have at a reasonable $11 million and under contract for three more years, in the picture now in a potential Love deal I’d want Cleveland to deal Love there, and from the Mavs’ perspective, I would think they’d rather go for an expiring Thompson instead now to make up for the Powell injury.

Love is not close to the defender either Powell or Thompson are, especially when it comes to contesting shots on the interior, and they would not seemingly bow out of the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes of which Williams alluded to, either, as Dallas could still get in that if they don’t trade for Love.

Love is due to make over $91.5 million in the next three years following this season, so that would put an end to that Giannis possibility.

Moreover, given that Dallas has solid reserves in Maxi Kleber and Boban Marjanovic (in some matchups), but do not many players that have proven postseason experience, I’d think they could quickly emerge as a key Thompson trade suitor in coming weeks.

The aforementioned deal to me involving the Mavs and Thompson, while far from a King’s ransom, is one that, because the Cleveland Cavaliers are not likely big free agent players, anyhow, would be a solid return and again, Lee is expiring. Finney-Smith, again a player that could be a key rotational piece for Cleveland, also set to make a team-friendly $4.0 million in seasons through 2021-22 as well.

I’d look elsewhere if I’m the Cavaliers, really, in regards to a Love deal, and if that means the Wine and Gold has to deal Love in the offseason, oh well. Love’s attitude has been much better in recent weeks, and again, dealing him by the trade deadline won’t be a simple task; the two need to go their separate ways by the start of next season, at any rate.

So, anyway, keep on eye on the Mavs as a potential Thompson suitor, Cavs fans. Lastly, if Thompson plays a key role in a deep Dallas postseason run, I could see him and them agreeing on a team-friendly scenario as far as a new contract this summer.