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Par Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Journaliste sportif
Well off at the Draft Lottery, the Mavericks don’t intend to stop there this off-season. They also hope to liven up the trade market and settle an issue they consider a priority… but are debating a potential target.
Three days later, fans are still wondering whether fate or the league was so kind to the Mavericks. In fact, the Mavericks weren’t even expecting to hit such a jackpot themselves when they landed at the Lottery on Monday night. With a slim chance (1.8%) of receiving the 1st pick in the next draft, they finally got it, and they intend to build on this positive momentum from now on.
Possible Mavericks target struggles to win unanimous approval
Thanks to this stroke of luck in its favor, Dallas should get its hands on Cooper Flagg within the next few weeks. And that’s before the franchise has to deal with other issues on its roster. If Shams Charania is to be believed, one of these is a priority, namely at the point guard position. And Sports Illustrated’s Ben Stinar thinks he knows which player would be perfect to fill Kyrie Irving’s absence:
Ben Stinar: Even if he can’t be counted on to stay healthy for an entire season, Lonzo Ball would represent a solid backup at point guard. The Bulls re-signed him to a two-year, $20 million contract during the season, making his salary tradable in a trade. (…) The Mavs could offer a deal centered around Caleb Martin and a draft pick.
Deemed perfect for this interim role and moreover affordable on the open market, Ball could well do the trick for the Mavs. Based on Marc Stein’s recent outing, reported by All Things Mavs on X, the Mavs might actually have already ticked his name off:
Marc Stein, asked about Lonzo Ball being a target for Dallas in the DLLS Mavs Podcast: “I’d say he’s an interesting name to keep an eye on.”
For the record, in his return to the NBA after nearly a three-year absence, Lonzo was averaging 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals this season in Chicago. His defensive profile potentially appeals to Nico Harrison and the Dallas management team, who believe that defense is the key to winning titles. However, his physical fragility should put them off, according to Sam Quinn of CBS Sports:
Sam Quinn: Lonzo Ball has been very, very good this season. No kidding, I think half the teams in the NBA should try to draft him. But Dallas isn’t one of them. They can’t take another risk of this magnitude medically, knowing Kyrie is already in the infirmary and knowing AD’s injury history.
