Three trades the Dallas Mavericks should make with the San Antonio Spurs

Dallas and San Antonio’s NBA squads are alike in many ways when you really sit down and give it some thought. Both have reached the pinnacle, grided out playoff runs for the history books, and produced hall-of-fame players during the first 20 years of this century.

The Spurs and Mavericks are seperated by historical success

San Antonio has five rings. They also have five banners nestled between hall-of-fame players' retired numbers up in the rafters down south at the AT&T Center. Dallas, on the other hand, has one ring with a single oversized banner that sticks out like a sore thumb in their home arena. Perhaps the overkill on the size is to make up for their lack of championships, but who am I to judge?

The Dallas Mavericks are only a few pieces away from a championship run. Dallas has not reached the NBA Finals since the 2011 season. As we all know, 2011 is also when the franchise captured its one and only title in club history.  

Since then, Dallas watched its divisional foe from San Antonio reach the finals in 2013 and then return to the championship round a year later, where the Spurs would capture their fifth title of all time. The Mavericks have experienced playoff heartbreak, said goodbye to its franchise legend in Dirk, and experienced a fall from grace to the bottom of the league.

The point is that Dallas wants to get to where the San Antonio Spurs have been. And if there ever were a season in which each club could essentially help each other out given the circumstances, 2022 would be it.

Dallas and SA: Bitter rivals turned allies

The Spurs are rebuilding, and the Mavericks need someone to get them over the hump. But do the Silver and Black currently hold an asset from which Dallas could benefit by acquiring in a trade? Let’s say the answer to that question is yes, with the caveat being San Antonio benefits in terms of adding to its rebuild in a meaningful way.

Even with the recent addition of Kemba Walker, which some may say is past his prime, there is still a lingering feeling that something is missing for the Mavericks. All things considered, it appears we may have a legitimate trade scenario.

Do you know what helps tremendously during the rebuilding years of an NBA franchise? Draft picks, especially in rounds one and two. Perhaps the Mavs send over picks for 2023 and 2024 coupled with a position player who fits the Spurs' immediate needs in exchange for a player who is that missing championship link for Dallas.

To determine what is needed and its respective priority is relatively simple in this scenario. San Antonio desperately needs a point guard, and draft picks which they will use to rebuild the club. Dallas needs that X factor to pair with Luka Doncic.

San Antonio has that X factor Dallas needs, and the Mavericks have valuable rebuilding items in stock. This is exactly why these teams need to conduct some sort of trade as soon as possible. After all, it is the Holiday Season.