The Dallas Mavericks shocked the NBA world at the start of free agency over the summer when they signed Klay Thompson to a three-year, $50 million deal as part of a six-team sign-and-trade. Dallas had been linked to Thompson since April, and Nico Harrison and company were able to pull off the biggest free agency move in Mavs history when Thompson put pen to paper.
Mavs fans were partially shocked to see Thompson join the Mavs over the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, and this move helped solidify the fact that star players want to join the Mavs now.
This hasn't always been the case, as players around the league have used the Mavs as leverage in the past, and this notion of Dallas being a hot destination was cemented this season.
The Mavericks were one of the teams that Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat would reportedly like to be traded to, but if the Mavs wanted to chase Butler, it wouldn't be easy. Dallas would have to give up an absolute haul to land Butler, and that deal could end up including Thompson considering that he is making around $15.9 million this season. The Mavericks trading enough players to match Butler's salary of about $48.8 million next season would be a major challenge, and it's not something many Mavs fans would be ok with.
Mavs could trade for Butler, but it would likely require Thompson
ESPN recently put out a story about how Butler's "preferred destinations" such as the Mavs, Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, and Golden State Warriors could get their hands on Butler (subscription required) in a trade, and the Mavs' avenue to landing him makes this type of deal seemingly unlikely.
ESPN wrote that acquiring Butler would be Nico Harrison's "biggest challenge" since being the Mavs GM, and at minimum, they would have to send out three players. They suggested a four-team trade to get Butler to Dallas with the Heat, New Orleans Pelicans, and Detroit Pistons, and the Mavericks should run the other direction before making this move.
In the proposed deal, the Mavericks would acquire Butler, but they'd have to give up Naji Marshall, Daniel Gafford, Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber, a 2025 top-14 protected first-round pick, and Thompson, as this group of five players and one pick would be split up among the aforementioned three teams.
All of this just to get Butler does not sound like something that would thrust the Mavs further into championship contention, and they'd be better off rolling with the roster they have right now instead of making this wild trade. Losing Thompson as part of this deal would be a tough pill to swallow for Mavs fans, as he is finally starting to get into a groove.
Thompson is in the middle of his best stretch of the season, and he is finally starting to find his niche within the offense. While Butler would give the Mavs a third superstar next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the cost to get it done is not ideal.
The Mavs haven't shown any real interest in Butler at this point, and we'll have you covered with all the latest as the February 6 trade deadline quickly approaches.
