Luka Doncic was unbelievable in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, helping the Mavericks get past the Jazz in the first round and upset the Suns in the second round before falling to the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. Ultimately, though, it wasn't quite enough to get them over the hump.
Doncic did his part, but he needs more help. Jalen Brunson played well and could be brought back for a hefty price this summer. That might not be enough to compete with the highest tier of teams, though.
Who would be the ideal teammate for Doncic, putting aside how realistic the process of acquiring that target might be?
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Mavericks trade targets: Perfect for Luka Doncic, but not going to happen
The perfect sidekick to Doncic should have some of the qualities that the Mavericks were missing in their series against the Warriors. One of their biggest downfalls was that they didn't have great shot creation to give Doncic breathers. They also need a player who can defend well and spread the floor when Doncic is controlling the ball.
Former Mavs executive Haralabos Voulgaris weighed in with his opinion in an appearance on the "Basketball Illuminati" podcast in May. His choice for the perfect teammate?
"Jrue Holiday," Voulgaris said. "Because he checks all the boxes. He is arguably the best wing defender. He certainly was a year or two ago. Now, some people say Mikal Bridges, and I guess some people say Marcus Smart, but whatever. He can hit a 3-point shot. He can drive. He's just so good, and he's durable in the sense that he can play a ton of minutes.
"People talk about the Celtics' switching defense and their length. I mean, the Mavericks would have Luka, Jrue, Doe-Doe [Dorian Finney-Smith], Reggie Bullock, [Maxi] Kleber. Good f—ing luck scoring on that, and your smallest guy is however tall Jrue is. That's the guy for me."
Holiday showed his defensive value in the postseason for the Bucks. He came up huge with a steal and block on Smart in the closing moments of his team's Game 5 win against the Celtics. Doncic was targeted at times throughout the NBA Playoffs, and Holiday would certainly help strengthen the defense around him.
Paul George would fit nicely for the same reasons. George has already shown himself capable of playing a secondary role. He's shot 38.2 percent from beyond the arc over his 12 seasons, and he's been named to an All-Defensive team four times.
Mavericks trade targets: Great fits, but still unrealistic
George and Holiday would be extremely difficult to acquire. But how about some players one or two tiers below them?
The combination of Doncic and Lonzo Ball would be the most fun duo to watch in the league. Ball's high feel, creativity and spectacular spot-up shooting would pair perfectly with Doncic. Ball came into the league as a shaky shooter, but he has hit 38.7 percent of his 3-pointers over the past three seasons.
He's also a great team defender. The Bulls' defense fell off a cliff once they lost him to injury.
Desmond Bane would be another fun player to pair with Doncic. Bane has hit 43.5 percent of his 3-point attempts over the course of two seasons. The Grizzlies have also given him more reps as an on-ball creator when Ja Morant is out.
And while he's not an outstanding defender, he is surprisingly solid on that end.
Mavericks trade targets: Definitely possible
In the more readily available category, how about Rudy Gobert? The Mavericks would be very aggressive in pursuing him if he became available, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
Gobert isn't quite the perfect fit, but he would look a lot better playing alongside Doncic. The Jazz didn't have the personnel to hit him on lobs, and Doncic is one of the best at reading those 2-on-1 situations.
As flawed a player as Gobert is offensively, he remains an elite defender. The Mavs' lack of rim protection hurt them against the Warriors, who pummeled them in the paint. Gobert would instantly solve that problem by himself.
The two players most included in fake deals at the trade deadline, Jerami Grant and Harrison Barnes, would also make sense. Both can defend adequately, although they're not lockdown defenders. Both can hit 3-pointers, although not at an elite level. And they can provide a little bit of shot creation in a pinch.
They're certainly more flawed than the players listed above, but they would make the team better.
What can the Mavericks actually do to help Luka Doncic?
Stepping back into the world of realism, the Mavericks have plenty of work to do this offseason.
Brunson is an unrestricted free agent, and he will command a hefty salary if the Mavs decide to keep him. If he walks, then they don't have the cap space to acquire a similar player to replace him.
Signing-and-trading Brunson could create a medium-sized salary cap exception to add a player down the line. But he's subject to complex base year compensation rules which make that maneuver difficult to pull off. It's going to be very difficult to find a player better than Brunson to pair with Doncic next year, so the most likely outcome is that Brunson sticks around with the potential of getting traded later.
The Mavericks also have some draft capital that they could use to add to the team or trade for help. They don't have a second-round pick this summer because of the Kristaps Porzingis trade, but they will pick 26th in the first round. They could move up to two future first-round picks through 2029 or three if they renegotiate protections on the pick they owe to the Knicks.
That's a decent-sized stash to try and find a player to pair with Doncic when one becomes available. Patience is ultimately what the Mavs will have to practice.
Good players will unexpectedly come up in the trade market. Their best bet is to put themselves in a position to trade for one when that inevitably happens.
