Door just swung wide open for Mavericks to bring veteran center back home

The Dallas Mavericks' center position has been an absolute nightmare over the last few weeks, as Dwight Powell, Dereck Lively II, and Maxi Kleber have all gone down with injuries. Jason Kidd said their situation at center and all of the injuries that his team has gone through are unlike anything he's ever seen before, and it didn't take the team long to address this area of need over the weekend.

Dallas signed Kylor Kelley to a two-way deal while waiving Jazian Gortman, and he should help hold down the fort until Powell, Kleber, or Lively II returns. He is a 7-footer who is an excellent shot blocker and good rim roller, and he got his first chance to suit up for Dallas on Monday night against the Washington Wizards.

Kelley finished with one point and four rebounds in eight minutes, and he briefly showed that he can help fill in this backup big-man spot until they get some reinforcements healthy. While Kelley looked to be serviceable in his eight minutes, it still may be in Dallas' best interest to make a move for another big.

It has already been rumored that the team is looking to upgrade their frontcourt, and a player who has been in Mavericks rumors for years may finally be on the trading block ahead of the February 6 trade deadline.

Mavericks could swoop in and trade for Myles Turner

According to NBA insider Jovan Buha, the Indiana Pacers are "not sure if they want to give (Myles Turner) $30-plus million" in unrestricted free agency this summer, and said he has heard "a little bit of chatter" about the Pacers' willingness to include him in a trade.

While Dallas doesn't need a third center for the long-term considering that Dereck Lively II looks to be their center of the future and Daniel Gafford is an excellent backup and is playing some of the best basketball of his Mavericks career, they could look to explore making an upgrade from Gafford if the trade rumors spark back up again. The Mavericks were reportedly willing to include Gafford in a trade if that meant they were getting an elite perimeter defender in return, and while Turner doesn't fit that mold, he would bring an entirely new skill set to Dallas.

This season for the Pacers, Turner is averaging 15.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from downtown. He is one of the most underrated bigs in the NBA due to his rim protection and floor-stretching abilities, and his unique offensive game would give the offense a new feel.

Considering that Turner will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, Dallas would likely only make this move if they believed he would re-sign with them over the summer, and the fact that he grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex could end up being a big pull for him. Turner was born in Bedford, Texas, went to high school at Trinity in Euless, and played in college at the University of Texas, and being back in Dallas would be nothing new for him.

He spent his early life in Texas, and a midseason trade to the Mavericks would bring him right back home. It has been some time since Dallas has been linked to Turner, but now could be the perfect time for them to go trade for him. This would be a major high-risk high-reward move, and Turner would feast playing next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

It seems unlikely that the Pacers trade Turner to begin with considering how well they are playing this season, especially lately, but if they do move him, the Mavericks could end up being a sleeper team to keep an eye on.