3 trades the Mavericks must make after firing Nick Harrison

The Dallas Mavericks he finally pulled the trigger on what seemed like the most inevitable and likely front office shakeup in the NBA. General Director Nico Harrison is finally out of position, and Mavs ownership is now looking for the next leader of the team’s brain trust — with a minority owner Mark Cuban is reportedly looking Detroit Pistons Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations Dennis Lindsay, former team advisor, takes over.

Now, it’s not entirely clear if Lindsay will leave his position with the Pistons given how successful the team has become under his watchful eye. But the Mavericks need someone with the courage to face the wrath of fans, as well as the courage and composure not to rush into roster decisions.

Entering the 2025-26 season, the Mavericks looked like a dark contender to compete for a playoff spot given how deep their frontcourt is. Alas, that depth was found only on paper. Anthony Davis and Derek Lively II were injured soon into a new campaign, and Daniel Gafford only recently returned to action.

They’ve struggled to a 3-8 start to the new season heading into their Wednesday night matchup against the Phoenix Suns, and it looks like their most sensible course of action from here on out is to compete so they can add another blue-chip prospect in a rare year in which they control their first-round pick.

It doesn’t mean that they should trade davis. That will anger Mavericks fans even more, because seeing the main role they got on Doncic’s teams less than a year after they got him would add insult to injury.

To that end, here are some trades the Mavericks must consider.

Mavericks send Daniel Gafford to playoff hopeful Blazers

Mavericks trade: Daniel Gafford

Blazers trade: Robert Williams III, 2028 first-round pick (from ORL)

There are a lot of rumors about that The Mavericks could end up trading Gafford away amid their descent into the league cellar. And there are many reasons why this makes sense.

Gafford has three years left on his contract that has a a total of 54 million dollars remaining, and if the team were to undergo a bit of a reset, catching up on some future assets for him makes sense especially when he’ll be third at best behind Davis and Lively once the team gets healthier.

The Mavericks acquired Gafford in February 2024, sending a 2024 first-round pick via the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Washington Wizards. Now, Gafford’s value hasn’t changed much since then. At this point, he’s pretty much a known commodity. He’s one of the best lob threats in the NBA, and he can shoot like nobody’s business.

He’s at his best whenever he plays with a point guard who knows how to handle the pick and roll. Suffice it to say, the Mavs don’t have much backcourt depth right now, which makes everything difficult for a high-flying center.

Regardless, Gafford is under contract for three more years at a reasonable enough price that the Mavericks could still make up at least a first-round pick for him. Enter the Portland Trail Blazers.

The The Blazers were very competitive to start the season, and it’s clear they’re pushing for a spot in the tournament at the very least. But their depth is questionable, and Donovan Klingan, as talented as he is, has some very glaring limitations on both ends of the floor that the playoff hopefuls might want to alleviate.

Gafford should help secure the Blazers’ center situation, and despite his past injury problems, he still poses less of an injury risk than Williams. Landing the Magic’s first-round pick in 2028 should be enough as the Mavericks look to fill their future assets under new management.

Just turn off the D’Angelo Russell experiment

Mavericks trade: D’Angelo Russell, cash considerations

Nets trade: 2026 second-round pick from ATL (top-55 protected)

Signing Russell to act as a stopgap option amid Irving’s injury, it seemed like a very good idea for the Mavericks. Russell has his flaws (he runs hot and cold, and his defense leaves a lot to be desired), but as far as shot-creating playmakers go, he was the best Dallas could afford in free agency.

But he says head coach Jason Kidd would rather hand the point guard duties to Cooper Flegg than entrust Russell with the role to start the season. Moreover, Kidd, after several games of placing Russell in the starting lineup, now decided to entrust the job to Brandon Williams instead of the ten-year veteran.

The Mavs clearly don’t trust Russell, and he will be under contract until next year. (At this rate, he will pick up his player option for next season worth almost $6 million.)

It might be better for the Mavs to simply trade Russell to a team that can absorb his hit without getting any value in return. This trade is working out well, and the Brooklyn Nets are getting some money for their trouble.

Save Dennis Schroder from the Kings

Mavericks trade: Caleb Martin, Jaden Hardy, 2032 second-round pick

Kings trade: Dennis Schroder

With Russell gone in this hypothetical, the Mavericks will be even thinner in the backcourt due to Irving’s injury. Obtaining a replacement is essential. Why not try to save Shredder from the kings?

Schroder feels a bit marginalized in Sacramento. Russell Westbrook was very productive, but ate up Schroder’s production. In the last three games, he has scored a total of five points and made one field goal in 19 attempts.

With the Mavs, he at least provides pressure at the rim and slashing. He has experience playing alongside Davis, so that synergy should help the team as well. And given how poorly he’s played, he should be available at a bargain price — especially with Sacramento needing to unclog that logjam in their backcourt.