An exploration of the idea that the Atlanta Hawks could trade for the Dallas Mavericks Dennis Smith Jr.
With the Atlanta Hawks suddenly competitive, and the Dallas Mavericks rallying around generational talent Luka Doncic, erstwhile lottery pick Dennis Smith Jr. is looking like he might not be the best fit around Doncic.
Recently, Doncic erupted for 34 points and 7 made triples against the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Mavs had a chance to win the game in regulation with a final shot, but Smith dribbled out the clock and was able to neither get up a shot nor get the ball to Doncic for a shot attempt.
Doncic was visibly vexed, and this only added fuel to the fire regarding trade rumors surrounding Smith. First reported by Marc Stein, Smith should fetch a solid return for the Mavericks, who are still attempting to contend in a stacked Western Conference.
Of course, it is unlikely that the Atlanta Hawks will deal with the Mavs again after the team traded Doncic down to the Mavs for Trae Young, but who knows? If Smith can be had for a reasonable package, then perhaps Travis Schlenk wouldn’t hesitate to nab a high-upside guard to pair alongside Ice Trae for the foreseeable future.
The deal would work out in a multitude of ways, but perhaps the most realistic path for a DSJ trade is including Wesley Matthews and Kent Bazemore as the additional primary actors in a deal.
Furthermore, the Hawks could include Taurean Prince and future draft pick compensation as sweeteners to entice the Mavericks to trade away their first round pick from 2017.
Beyond that, if the Mavericks are trying to load up in advance of what they hope will be a successful playoff push, Justin Anderson, Tyler Dorsey or another potential add-in player could be included to attempt to get this deal done.
Though Bazemore will be out for upwards of two weeks with an ankle sprain, he still remains the Atlanta Hawks most valuable trade asset, and he would certainly be an upgrade over Matthews in terms of the three-and-D archetype.
While it’s certainly unlikely that the Mavs will want to move on from DSJ after only one and a quarter seasons, Doncic is clearly a generational talent (that the Atlanta Hawks did not value more than Ice Trae) that can be built around, so only time will tell if the Hawks are able to obtain DSJ in a trade.
The trade deadline will be a fascinating time for all teams – Atlanta Hawks included – so let’s wait and see what that fateful day in February brings.