A 3-team trade could give the Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, and Chicago Bulls the direction they need going ahead from the season.
We are in the final week before the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline is upon us and teams around the NBA can't make any major moves up until the offseason. The NBA is having one of its most interesting seasons in a while and it's impossible to predict who will win a championship this season. Parity is at an all-time high and many teams could become contenders if they made a move to win immediately.
The Dallas Mavericks have been touted as a team that may be a massive buyer at the deadline, with the team remaining extremely competitive in the West purely on the brilliance of Luka Doncic, who scored 53 points in his last outing. The Brooklyn Nets on the other hand need to make moves while protecting their future assets given the uncertainty with Kyrie Irving beyond this season.
The Chicago Bulls need to think about packing their current core up and starting afresh, especially with Nikola Vucevic's impending free agency and Zach LaVine's apparent discontentment on the squad. So, how about these 3 teams come together to make a deal to further each other's interests?
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Davis Bertans, Alex Caruso
Chicago Bulls Receive: Ben Simmons, Tim Hardaway Jr., Christian Wood, Josh Green, 2025 First-Round Pick (DAL), 2027 First-Round Pick (DAL)
Dallas Mavericks Receive: Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic
This trade has a lot of moving parts, but each franchise could consider worth it given the price.
The Brooklyn Nets Tweak Around The Edges By Moving Off Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons is a shadow of his former self. Everyone keeps attributing it to the mental struggles that ruined the end of his time with the Philadelphia 76ers but it might just be his body. Simmons has picked up multiple injuries throughout the season and most of them can be attributed to the back issues that have been plaguing him since he was a rookie. His lack of dependableness and offensive production has made him a $36 million anchor on the squad and moving off him without having to give up a pick is a blessing.
Letting go of a large bad contract in Ben for a smaller bad contract in Davis Bertans could work out well, given Bertans also provides the shooting that the Nets want to surround their roster with. Alex Caruso is the main prize here, as his tenacity and All-Defense level play will shine in a title-winning set-up once again. He's already been linked to the New York Knicks, so the Nets could benefit from ensuring their cross-town rivals don't get him. The Nets could make additional moves to trade the likes of Patty Mills or Seth Curry for size, as Caruso is a clear upgrade over both of them and will bring his per-game average of 1.7 steals to the squad, along with a 3-point jumper that connected at a 40% rate this season.
The price is low and the upside may just be higher, even if Simmons has shown flashes of the star he used to be. The Nets can't be patient with the ticking clock of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant's partnership and needs to get what value they can for him immediately.
The Chicago Bulls Jump-Start Their Rebuild
The Chicago Bulls give up 3 key rotational players and receive a bevy of assets to offload the cost. Josh Green will be the coveted asset, as the Bulls can develop the young guard/forward into a solid piece on a new-look roster. The Mavericks would love to develop him but that comes at the cost of sacrificing years of Luka Doncic on his current contract, so giving up Green to keep the price at two first-round picks will be a good move.
The value of Christian Wood is dependent on the Bulls entirely, as they can choose to not re-sign him this summer and start opening cap space up. The Bulls don't have any young bigs in the pipeline, so using him for either half a season or extending him will make sense for the squad. Tim Hardaway Jr. is a necessary contract that needs to be included and has proven his utility as a veteran in the NBA. If the Bulls are putting together a young squad after this, THJ can be solid for them. His contract descends in dollar value until its final season, so the Bulls can afford to absorb his money for the remaining years.
The Mavericks are giving up a lot of their rotational value, so 2 first-round picks are all they will be giving up in this deal. Vucevic has no real trade value on an expiring contract and LaVine's injury concerns have to be weighed alongside his All-Star caliber talent, so this should be draft compensation they'll accept, especially with the 2027 pick conveying after Doncic's current contract is up.
The Dallas Mavericks Give Luka Doncic A Win-Now Supporting Cast
This trade means the Dallas Mavericks are putting their eggs in the middle of the basket and pushing for a title. Both LaVine and Vucevic bring something valuable to the Mavs, as LaVine can be a genuine second-star that can relieve the pressure on Luka and Vucevic is the rebounder they've missed in all their seasons with Doncic. This also allows them to continue playing their offensively potent lineups with good shooters and size, as Vucevic can stay on the court in those lineups.
The defense will be a massive concern for the Mavericks, but Jason Kidd proved last season that the Mavs can play good enough team defense to be competitive even with poor individual defenders. They haven't been lighting the world alight defensively, so they need to go the Denver Nuggets route of loading up on their offensive firepower. If not, they still have other players that they could move in search of a defensive upgrade.
The Mavericks will be able to tweak the roster in the following years as they maintain some pick flexibility. They'll have to re-sign Vucevic, just like they would have had to re-sign Wood. The difference is that Vucevic may come at a cheaper price due to his age and recent production. LaVine is under a long-term contract, so the Mavs don't have to worry about him departing anytime soon.
Biting the bullet and making these trades will always make front offices stutter. These teams need to do something instead of standing pat in the next week and this trade would change the league in both conferences.
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