One of the Dallas Mavericks‘ offseason goals was to upgrade the center position. While that has yet to happen, it isn’t from a lack of the Mavericks trying, and they reportedly haven’t given up. NBA insider Marc Stein, in his latest substack, has been trying to leverage into a three-team deal that would net them Clint Capela. The Atlanta Hawks would receive Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors as part of the trade.
NBA Rumors: Dallas Mavericks Still In Market For Center, Insider Says the Mavs Are Leveraging Hawks For Clint Capela
According to Stein, Dallas tried to work out a trade for Capela in June, but the Mavs refused to part with Josh Green. So, Stein said that perhaps the Raptors would be willing to take Capela as part of the deal with the Hawks and then re-route him to Dallas. The Raptors really don’t need another high-priced center after re-upping with Jakob Poeltl this summer. Capela has two years and $43 million left on his contract.
One potential chip for Dallas to entice either the Hawks or Raptors to include them in a trade for Capela is to include Christian Wood in a sign-and-trade. Wood is an unrestricted free agent, and the Mavericks appear to have no interest in bringing him back.
“League sources say Dallas has not ruled out participating in a sign-and-trade deal that lands Christian Wood with a new team if it is presented with such a scenario,” Stein wrote.
“The issue for the Mavericks: They are already hard-capped and only $9 million and change away from hitting the NBA’s first luxury-tax apron, so it has been stressed to me that they would have to really like the player they receive in return to partake in such a deal.”
Like Capela, Wood makes no sense going to Toronto. Meanwhile, the Hawks seemingly want to make a serious playoff run by assuring that Dejounte Murray will remain Trae Young‘s running mate for the foreseeable future.
So, if Atlanta could get both Siakam and Wood, that would be a huge coup. A Siakam-Wood pairing would be a significant upgrade over the Capela-John Collins duo they have run out for several seasons.
Analysts
This potential three-team trade is very complex. The most important question that needs to be answered is does Toronto really want to part with Siakam. As of right now, the answer appears to be n0. But that could change as the season progresses as Siakam is poised to enter the open market next summer.
Question No. 2 does the Hawks have enough assets to wrangle Siakam from Toronto? The Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic are also reportedly interested in obtaining the two-time all-star.
De’Andre Hunter was expected to be the centerpiece in the previously discussed trade with Toronto. Atlanta also has A.J. Griffin and Kobe Bufkin, two very young shooters. While the Hawks own their first-round selection in 2024, they potentially won’t again until 2028 due to previous trades. They have multiple trade exceptions, including a $25.6 million exception acquired from Utah as part of the Collins trade.
The bottom line is the Mavericks would be a legitimate title contender if they find a way to obtain Capela. Capela would provide the Mavs with their first legitimate center since Kristaps Porzingis. The 6-10 center is very efficient, yet limited, offensively. While Capela is a superb shot-blocker and rebounder, he has taken a step back defensively overall.
Dallas Mavericks Roster
Even if Dallas cannot trade for Capela, they are reportedly not done taking their roster. The Mavericks are believed to be intent on trading Tim Hardaway Jr. JaVale McGee is also not expected to be on the Mavs roster at the start of the season.
Dallas has 14 players on a standard contract following the signing of first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper. While it is unknown what role Prosper or fellow-first-round selection Dereck Lively II will have this year, they really impressed the Mavs during the summer league.
“Lively will get there. He has potential. He’s going to be the starting center of the Mavericks one day,” summer league coach Jared Dudley told Mavs.com. “O-Max is right there. The three-and-D guys, it’s easier to transition. Offense, he’s a bull going at you. He has to work on his decision-making a little when he gets in the paint. But myself and the Dallas Mavericks are happy with what they did.”
In addition to looking for an upgrade at center, the Mavericks are also scowling the free agent market, looking for another forward, per Hoopshype Michael Scotto. Scotto said the Mavs have shown exploratory interest in Kelly Oubre Jr. and Derrick Jones Jr.
Oubre is an exceptional 3-level scorer who can play multiple positions and is physical as a defender. He is a terrific rebounder who may fall in love with the three too much. Meanwhile, Jones is a slasher who makes his bread on the defensive end. Jones is much more of a “3-D guy” than Oubre but doesn’t shoot it well from beyond the arc.
