The Dallas Mavericks’ depth at center has been their biggest question mark over the last month despite it being their main strength after trading for Anthony Davis, and the reason for this is something completely out of their control.
The Mavericks have been destroyed with serious injuries to Davis, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford, and the front office has been scrambling for answers in an effort to stay afloat in a loaded Western Conference. It all started when they signed Kylor Kelley to a two-way deal, and although it quickly became clear that Jason Kidd didn’t trust him, this was a move to try to give them some depth until one of the bigs got healthy.
While Dwight Powell has been healthy for the last few games and has provided some solid minutes, Moses Brown was quietly the star of the show. Dallas signed him to a 10-day deal at the end of last month, and he was phenomenal. Over his final two games with the Mavs, he averaged 19.0 points, 10 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 73.9 percent from the field. His interior presence was a major boost to an injury-depleted frontcourt, and to the disappointment of fans, his time in Dallas is over.
Probably for good.
Mavericks are paying the price for Harrison’s bold trade deadline move
While Dallas can bring Brown back at some point down the road, it doesn’t look like it will be happening this season. With the way Dallas’ roster is currently constructed, they can’t sign anyone to a contract until April 10 (to remain under the first apron), and that includes standard and 10-day contracts. This puts Dallas in an extremely tough position, as Brown would have likely been signed to another 10-day deal or even a standard contract and would have undoubtedly continued to play big minutes until one of the other centers got healthy. Now, the Mavericks plan to sign Kai Jones to a two-way deal after their plans to waive Kelley emerged over the weekend.
While Jones gives them much-needed depth, Brown would have been the ideal option, and if Nico Harrison handled the trade deadline differently, they would have had the flexibility to bring him back. With Harrison’s decision to trade Quentin Grimes for Caleb Martin, Dallas got dangerously close to the first apron, preventing them from signing anyone to a standard deal (and only having one 10-day contract at their disposal) until the season was almost over.
While Harrison has been under fire for trading Grimes for the injured Martin already, especially after Grimes’ 44-point game over the weekend, the financial part about this deal has not been talked about enough. With the position that Dallas was in when it comes to injuries, Harrison making a move (trading for Martin) in which they couldn’t sign a player until April 10 was a major risk that they couldn’t afford to make.
It’s also undeniable that Grimes has tons of upside, and even though he is a free agent this summer and Dallas could have lost him for nothing, he would have given them a better shot at winning right now. The Mavericks knew that Martin’s injury was serious when they traded for him (that’s why the Philadelphia 76ers threw in a second-round pick to sweeten the deal), and Grimes’ skill set would have been relied upon heavily right now. They need shot creation just like they need big man depth, and the Martin trade crippled them in both areas (due to them not being able to bring back Brown).
Harrison’s risks in the past have paid off majorly, such as trading for Kyrie Irving, and fans are betting on his decision to trade for Martin to pay off as well. He is trending towards a return soon, and he is going to have significant pressure on his shoulders to perform at a high level considering how injured the team is right now.
The implications of the trade for Martin are not being talked about enough, and Brown would likely still be a Maverick if they didn’t make this move. This move just didn’t cost them Grimes, it also cost them Brown. He would have addressed their biggest area of need and was playing some of the best basketball of his career, and the team is going to have to live with not being able to utilize their final roster spot that should be his.