PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – MARCH 29: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on March 29, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
The Dallas Mavericks have been one of the NBA’s most disappointing teams here in 2022-23, and it’s quite clear that the organization is in need of another star to complement Luka Doncic.

The Mavericks’ trade for All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving hasn’t been enough to help the club climb back into the playoff race. With two games to go, Dallas is tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder (both 38-42) for the final play-in berth.

Even if the Mavericks qualify for the play-in tournament, it’s hard to envision this year’s group going on a deep playoff run again. There is clearly plenty of work ahead for GM Nico Harrison this offseason.

One player who could help Doncic and the Mavericks return to title contention in 2023-24? Minnesota Timberwolves’ big man Rudy Gobert, who like Irving may benefit from a change of scenery.

At NBA Analysis Network, James Piercey proposed a massive trade in which the Mavericks acquire the three-time Defensive Player of the Year in exchange for Tim Hardaway Jr., Josh Green, Davis Bertans, a 2027 first-rounder plus a swap of 2028 first-round picks:

“If the Mavericks do this deal, they need to learn from Minnesota.

They should not, for example, start Christian Wood alongside Gobert. He’s a poor defender in his own right. As good as Gobert is at protecting the rim, he needs help in the frontcourt.

Let’s assume Dallas can land a decent perimeter defender at the 4. Let’s also assume that they retain Kyrie Irving in free agency. If both of those occurrences happen, the Mavericks should contend next season by adding Gobert.

After all, Gobert remains one of the best rim protectors in the NBA. He’s also a great pick-and-roll finisher who would complement both of Dallas’ guards.”

Whether Dallas retains Irving or not, adding Gobert certainly makes sense on paper. Doncic is one of the NBA’s premier scorers, but the Mavs certainly could use a world-class defender to complement Doncic’s all-world abilities.

Gobert is having a fine statistical season in The Gopher State, but the Timberwolves were expected to improve from their 46-36 record a year ago. Like Dallas, Minnesota has greatly underachieved this season.

But that also makes the two clubs ideal trade partners. There’s no indicator that the Timberwolves will want to move on from Gobert after one year, but if they do, the Mavericks should be one of the first teams to inquire.