Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Tim Hardaway Jr. lead the Mavericks by the numbers ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.
The Dallas Mavericks have received a much-needed lift from Kyrie Irving’s return in front of Thursday’s trade deadline at 2 p.m. CT. Since Irving’s comeback, the Mavericks have gone 2-0. On Tuesday at the Barclays Center, they defeated the Brooklyn Nets 119-107, with Irving scoring 36 points and dishing out five assists. He cemented the Mavericks into exceptional territory with his performance.
With Irving scoring 36 points and Luka Doncic scoring 35, Dallas accounts for the last three times a team had two players score 35 or more points in a game. Doncic and Tim Hardaway Jr. did it on Jan. 29 in a 131-129 win over the Orlando Magic, and Irving and Hardaway accomplished the feat on Jan. 15 in a 125-120 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Hardaway is having one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 17.9 points per game, just shy of his career-best of 18.1 points per game in 2018-19. Dallas is 6-1 in games where he has scored at least 25 points and 14-10 when Doncic and Irving have played together.
This season, Doncic has averaged 34.5 points, 9.4 assists, and 8.8 rebounds per game, positioning him for a possible MVP candidacy. In 29 games this season, Irving has averaging 25 points, 5.4 assists, and five rebounds. Although it hasn’t happened often this season, Irving and Doncic have shown how effective they can be when playing together. If they are to make a serious run in the Western Conference, getting them more assistance needs to be a top priority. Could Hardaway suffer as a result of that?
Trading for Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma or Charlotte Hornets forward P.J. Washington won’t be cheap, and both would fill a gaping void at forward for the Mavericks. Kuzma is averaging a career-best 21.8 points per game, while Washington has averaged 13.8 points per game.
Derrick Jones Jr. leads the Mavs forwards, averaging 9.8 points per game, while Grant Williams is averaging 8.1. While the Mavs trading their sixth man, who is also their third-leading scorer, may seem counterintuitive, having a young player like Jaden Hardy waiting in the wings can cushion the blow. Someone like Kuzma can replace Hardaway’s scoring production while addressing a vital need for more size if Dallas wants to be a true contender in the West. If the Mavericks are going to maximize Doncic and Irving’s window, adding a versatile forward should be atop their list. If that costs them Hardaway, and maybe even a pick or two, that’s a price they may have to be willing to pay.
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