NBA Rumors: Victor Oladipo Would Be ‘Perfect Trade Target’ For Mavericks In 2020 Offseason, Per ‘Fansided’
The Dallas Mavericks managed to surpass expectations in the 2019-20 NBA season, thanks to the newly-formed young star duo of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. However, though they are currently in the playoff race, the Mavericks are still not considered a legitimate threat in the Western Conference. To have a realistic chance of fully dominating the Western Conference and contending for the NBA championship title, most people believe that the Mavericks still need to find a third star that could complement Doncic and Porzingis in the 2020 offseason.
In the past few months, the Mavericks have been linked to several players expected to be available on the trade market this fall, including veteran shooting guard Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Pacers. Oladipo is yet to fully recover from his injury and regain his All-Star form, but Tyler Watts of Fansided’s The Smoking Cuban believes that he would be the “perfect trade target” for the Mavericks in the offseason.
With his current injury, some people may think that trading for Oladipo could be a huge risk for the Mavericks. However, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is no longer new to gambling when it comes to players whom he believes could bring the team back to title contention. Once Oladipo becomes officially available on the trade market this fall, Watts thinks that it wouldn’t be a surprise if Cuban and the Mavericks’ front office make a move.
“The Mavs took a risk in trading for Kristaps Porzingis. He was coming off a torn ACL and had not played in an NBA game in nearly a year. They knew KP was going to sit out the remainder of the season too. The Mavericks took the chance, and it has paid off handsomely. They would be taking a similar risk in trading for Victor Oladipo. The Mavericks saw 13 games this season, but he was clearly not all the way back. It would be a gamble to trade for him this offseason. The price should also be slightly depressed. The Mavs could swing for the fences in hopes Oladipo becomes their third star.”
When he’s 100 percent healthy, Oladipo will undeniably be an incredible addition to the Mavericks. Having the All-Star version of Oladipo could make the Mavericks a far more dangerous team on the offensive end of the floor in the 2020-21 NBA season. Being an elite lockdown defender, the potential arrival of Oladipo in Dallas could also improve the Mavericks’ defensive efficiency that currently ranks No. 17 in the league, allowing 108.3 points per 100 possessions, per ESPN.
The successful acquisition of Oladipo wouldn’t make the Mavericks an instant title contender. However, if Oladipo manages to make himself fit in Dallas and Doncic and Porzingis continue to develop into legitimate NBA superstars, it wouldn’t take long before the Mavericks reach the same level as other Western Conference powerhouse teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers.
