Dallas could overhaul its backcourt by acquiring Scoot Henderson, pairing the explosive young playmaker with Cooper Flagg to solidify a new core in the Western Conference.
The Dallas Mavericks have spent much of the past year searching for ways to build a roster capable of maximizing Cooper Flagg's arrival while remaining competitive in a loaded Western Conference.
And this offseason, they could do just that by making a trade for a potential young and upcoming guard.
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In a recent article by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes, he outlines one big trade target for every NBA team now that the Finals are over. For the Mavs, he thinks they could make a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers for Scoot Henderson.
"The Portland Trail Blazers ran the offense through Deni Avdija last season and figure to do so going forward after the All-Star forward broke out as a first option," Hughes writes. "Only next year, Damian Lillard will re-enter the fray, presumably in his typical high-usage role. That's the Dallas Mavericks' way in on a Scoot Henderson deal."
The Mavericks have questions about their long-term backcourt outlook. Henderson would give the franchise a young, dynamic ball-handler who could grow alongside Flagg and potentially become a foundational piece for years to come.
At just 22 years old, Henderson still offers the kind of upside teams rarely find outside the top of the draft. And considering Dallas has most likely been eyeing a guard with the No. 9 pick in the upcoming draft, getting Henderson could allow them to do something else with that selection.
When he entered the league, Henderson was viewed by many scouts as a future franchise point guard thanks to his combination of athleticism, speed, playmaking ability, and confidence. Although consistency has been a challenge, flashes of that talent have continued to surface throughout his NBA career.
In the 30 games that he played this past season, he averaged 14 points and just under four assists per game on 42 percent shooting from the field and a solid 35 percent from three.
You might look at those numbers and think that 14 per game is not that great for a player who was drafted third overall, but you have to remember that Deni Avdija had a breakout year with 24 points per game and his first All-Star appearance.
But the thing that could stand in the way of a deal like this happening is the fact that Dallas might want to let Flagg get the chance to play with Kyrie Irving before determining whether or not they need to ship out the veteran guard.
Which is a fair point.
If they do decide to make a deal to send Kyrie away, going for a young player like Henderson, who could be on the market, would be something for the team to think about.
