Mavericks' pipe dream trade target should now fall completely off their list

Trade season around the NBA is starting to pick up, and although the Dallas Mavericks are a team that rumors have been fairly quiet around, we still have a good idea of the upgrades they are trying to make in the next 26 days to strengthen their roster for the final stretch of the season.

It has been known for some time now that Dallas will look to strengthen their frontcourt via the trade market, and they are specifically looking for a strong defensive player. While Dallas' defense has been strong this season as they are the No. 12 ranked defense in the league, one more defensive stopper could be exactly what they need to go win a title.

While Dallas hasn't been specifically linked to any players on the open market yet, fans have been speculating for the last few months. Larry Nance Jr. and Obi Toppin are some names that have commonly come up when discussing potential upgrades, but the best potential fit of almost any player in the league happens to be someone in Dallas' division.

Herbert Jones of the New Orleans Pelicans would be a dream fit in Dallas to become their new starting small forward and defensive stopper of the future. Jones is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and happens to fit the exact mold of what the Mavericks need to add to their team, but the chances of them landing him just took a massive blow.

Jones' torn labrum likely shatters Mavericks' potential pipe dream trade

The Pelicans announced that Jones has a torn labrum in his right shoulder yesterday, and now will be out indefinitely. New Orleans didn't want to trade Jones to begin with, and this injury may have put the nail in the coffin when it comes to Dallas' chances of landing him as they're likely looking for someone who can help them right now.

The idea of Jones becoming a Maverick was fun for fans while it lasted, and Nico Harrison and company may be shifting their focus in an entirely different direction (if they were eyeing Jones to begin with) with the trade deadline being less than a month away. Jones would have been the lengthy defensive stopper who could defend at the point of attack that Dallas needs for the playoff push, and he would have been in the perfect situation to develop on both ends of the floor.

Jones is only in his fourth season in the NBA, and playing next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving would allow him to perfect his skills as an off-ball wing, and they'd be feeding him plenty of wide-open looks from behind the arc. Even with Jones likely off the board, the Mavericks can still find someone else who can fill the same role on the trade market.

It has already been reported that Dallas has been extremely active on the phones ahead of the trade deadline, and it would be a shock at this point if the Mavericks don't make a move. They're always looking to bolster their roster for the final stretch of the season, as they've made franchise-altering moves at each of the last three trade deadlines, and this year could bring more of the same depending on the mindset that Harrison had ahead of the deadline.

They may not make as big of a move this season as they did last year, but they are definitely a team to keep an eye on over the next few weeks as they search for the best move to help turn their NBA Finals dreams into a reality.