The Dallas Mavericks flipped one of the young players they received in the Anthony Davis trade for a steady veteran, filling a backcourt hole.
While the Dallas Mavericks are still a long way away from competing for a playoff spot, their path towards success couldn't be clearer.
Cooper Flagg is the franchise centerpiece, and between PJ Washington, Naji Marshall, and the out-for-the-season Dereck Lively II, there is a solid core around him. Of course, until Flagg blossoms into a true superstar, the Mavericks will be closer to the bottom of the standings than the top.
This season, with Kyrie Irving out, it's been painfully clear that Dallas needs a point guard. Ryan Nembhard has stepped up, but is he really a long-term option? In an effort to solidify their backcourt, the Mavericks added a proven veteran.
Mavericks Add Tyus Jones in Last-Minute Trade
On Wednesday, the Mavericks flipped Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards for two first-round picks and a smattering of players, both young and old. Hours later, the Orlando Magic traded veteran point guard Tyus Jones to the Charlotte Hornets for cash.
The Mavericks re-routed Malaki Branham, who was included in the AD trade, to the Hornets for Jones, who is owed $7 million this season on a one-year deal.
In 48 games with the Magic this season, Jones averaged only three points and 2.4 assists. He is not a great defender, and his outside shooting is nothing special, 37.3% from deep in his career, but he takes great care of the basketball.
This season, he leads the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio, recording 8.3 dimes for every miscue. In fact, he has finished in the top three in that category in every season since 2017, leading the league six times.
While he might not be the most efficient scorer or the best defender, he takes better care of the ball than anyone in the league. In his last three seasons before being relegated to Orlando's bench, he averaged 10.8 points and 5.9 assists per game while shooting a solid 40% from 3-point range.
If that's the player the Mavericks got, then it should open up all kinds of scoring opportunities for Flagg while taking some playmaking burden away from Marshall, who has stepped up, but is not a point guard by any definition.
While this move won't propel the Mavericks into the postseason, it should help spur Flagg's development, turning him into an even more dangerous offensive player.