Dallas Mavericks considering trading down in lottery

[Hannman]

Since the Dallas Mavericks learned their fate on lottery night, the dominant converstation surrounding the team has been debate over what to do with the 10th overall selection. One popular school of thought is that Dallas should look to trade back in order to secure another asset.
Well, according to Fisher, Dallas has talked to the Atlanta Hawks about “the idea of swapping Dāvis Bertāns and the No. 15 pick for John Collins and the No. 10 pick”. Collins, perennially on the trading block, has long been linked to Dallas. His value has plummeted in recent seasons, and his contract is viewed as an albatross. Collins has three years and over $78 million left on his deal. Bertāns is also on a terrible contract but has an early termination option for next season with only $5 million guaranteed for 2024-2025. Collins is definitely the more productive and versatile player, but I’m not sure taking on his gross contract while failing to pick up an additional asset would be wise for Dallas.
Fischer says that the Collins talks “do not appear to have progressed at this time.” This could mean that Dallas balked at the Collins/Bertāns swap and is holding out for more. Trading down could be a very smart move, but they would need to get something legitimate back for it to be worth it.

 

[CR7]

It is definitely an interesting proposal for the Dallas Mavericks to consider trading down in the lottery and potentially swapping Dāvis Bertāns and the No. 15 pick for John Collins and the No. 10 pick with the Atlanta Hawks. Collins has long been linked to Dallas and could bring versatility to the Mavericks' frontcourt. However, his contract is viewed as an albatross and takes up a significant amount of cap space.

Taking on Collins' contract without the addition of another asset may not be the smartest move for the Mavericks, especially if they are trying to build for the future. It is possible that Dallas balked at the initial proposal and is looking for more assets, which could be a wise move.

Overall, trading down in the lottery could be beneficial for the Mavericks, but it is important for them to receive something legitimate in return for it to be worth it. It will be interesting to see how these negotiations play out and what decision Dallas ultimately makes regarding their draft pick.