The Dallas Mavericks are interested in trading away Dennis Smith, Jr. Could the Portland Trail Blazers be players in this?
As reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim McMahon, the Dallas Mavericks are ramping up their efforts to deal away second-year point guard, Dennis Smith, Jr. Should the Portland Trail Blazers consider doing business down south for the former ninth overall pick?
With rookie point-forward Luka Doncic taking the reins of the Mavs offense and the league by storm, Smith has been pushed off-ball, where he’s been ultimately less effective. Wojnarowski and McMahon note how Dallas’s offense becomes six points better with Jalen Brunson instead of Smith, and 11.7 points better with J.J Barea in that role.
The Mavs are all-in on their international phenom and are looking for pieces that raise the group’s ceiling with him at the forefront sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, Smith doesn’t seem to fit alongside him.
In his rookie year, Smith averaged 15.2 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game. This year, these numbers have slumped to 12.6, 3.9, and 2.6.
However, this drop-off is more likely due to lack of cohesion than a drop in his own individual effectiveness. And that lack of cohesion, along with the worse numbers, is probably where the urgency comes to trade him: Dallas believes there isn’t a perfect fit between their two best young prospects and that Smith will have more value if he is dealt early rather than after he’s turned his wheels for a few more months (or years) next to their new franchise player.
Smith is still a very intriguing guard, regardless of the Mavericks’ context. With all his upside, there’s potential that he’ll flourish on a team more built around his expertise.
However, the Blazers likely aren’t that team. They don’t really have any room for a ball-dominant, scoring guard – they already have plenty of those.
Even if the idea of having Smith play sixth man as a sort of Lillard-lite for the second-unit gets you salivating, you’ll quickly be sobered when you look around the roster at who the Blazers could give up for him.
Sure, Portland could always include some picks, but, as the ESPN report states, both the Phoenix Suns and Orlando Magic are interested in attaining Smith – and their draft pick prospects seem a whole lot more persuasive than Portland’s would be.
Plus, even if the Blazers did find some way to bring on Smith, they would likely have to find a new role for Evan Turner. I highly doubt the Mavs would want to take on an extra year of his salary and give up their second-year point guard, regardless of which picks Portland could include.
With Turner and Smith, one of three things would happen: 1. the Blazers try to play Smith alongside Turner, like how the Mavs are trying to play him alongside Doncic; 2. the Blazers take their chances by moving Turner to the starting lineup and shift around their entire rotation; or 3. the Blazers leave Turner and his $17.8 million contract sitting on the bench for the next two years.
None of that seems viable, especially for a team that so often harps on Turner’s ability to lead the bench this year.
So, if you happen to be a diehard “the Blazers need to make a move this year” person, look elsewhere.
The NBA trade deadline is at 12:00 P.S.T. on February 7.