Amidst a resurgence, the Mavericks weigh aggressive moves at the trade deadline, potentially upgrading their core or facing a predicted fire sale.
DALLAS - If your Dallas Mavericks choose to take a glass-is-half-empty approach?
They are 10-16. They are in 10th place in the West. They don't seem to have the "look and feel'' of a playoff team.
Ah, but what if the approach is glass-half-full?
They've won five of their last six games, with a victory over powerhouse Denver and with the sole loss to the incomparable Thunder. They boast kids worth investing in - Cooper Flagg, Ryan Nembhard and Max Christie - and they are experiencing a resurgence from long-time NBA star Anthony Davis
So ...
Should they approach the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline with aggressiveness? In the wake of so many changes - Luka Doncic gone, GM Nico Harrison gone, ownership superfan Mark Cuban back on the scene - should they be "buyers''?
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Dallas might very well lean that way.
"As one league source shared, there are even some indications that the Mavericks are still considering upgrading this current core rather than parting with their veterans," Amick reported Friday. "Time will tell if there's anything feasible on that front, or if this becomes the fire sale that so many have predicted."
Frankly, it sounds like The Athletic and its sources can't make up their minds about that liquid in the glass.
On the one hand, "There are indications that the Mavericks are still considering upgrading this current core. ...''
But on the other hand, "This could become the fire sale that so many have predicted''?
Which is it?
From where I sit? While Davis' injury history makes him too wobbly to be a foundation of this franchise's future, there is no reason for a "fire sale.''
And despite all the the trade rumors that would send the 10-time All-Star Davis packing, I agree with NBA insider Marc Stein who said on Friday that "it is by no means automatic" that the Mavericks decide to move A.D.
Dallas, of course, acquired Davis as part of the lopsided blockbuster trade that sent Luka to the Los Angeles Lakers a year ago.
When he's played? He's been good, averaging 19.6 points and 10.2 rebounds to go along with 1.6 blocks per game.
But he has only appeared in 10 of the Mavericks' first 25 games.
That's no foundation. At the same time, it's also no reason for a "fire sale,'' which suggests the Mavs might simply give him away.
If the Cuban I know has a voice as the deadline approaches, "aggression'' will be in play. And as far as giving away a star?
Hey, Dallas did that at the last trade deadline. And won't we all remember forever how that turned out?