Dallas Mavericks Need to Make Moves

The Mavericks currently hold the fifth seed in the Western Conference with a 20-15 record. Unfortunately, Luka Dončić has been sidelined with an injury since Christmas Day, when he exited the game against the Timberwolves before halftime. He is expected to be out for at least another month. Adding to Dallas' woes, forward PJ Washington is also dealing with an injury, after just returning from his one-game suspension after what occurred against the Phoenix Suns only strains the team even more. Kyrie Irving has been shouldering the load for the Mavericks since November, with some assistance from Klay Thompson, but is that enough?

Last season, the Mavericks reached the NBA Finals, ultimately falling to the Boston Celtics in five games. They began this season as heavy favorites to return, especially with a dependable sharpshooter like Klay Thompson, who has made an impact since his debut at the start of the season. However, with both Luka and Washington injured, there’s only so much Kyrie and Klay can accomplish. The Mavs should consider making trades to bolster their frontcourt.

With the trade deadline approaching on February 6th, the Mavericks may need to explore options for acquiring more reliable players who can step in for Luka and Washington during their absence. Naji Marshall is scheduled to return from a four-game suspension on Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies following the altercation he had with Phoenix Suns’ Jusuf Nurkić. The Mavs just received their fifth loss in a row to the Cleveland Cavaliers, losing 134-122. Even with Marshall’s return; is he going to be enough?