Everyone knows that the Mavericks did not win the championship this year. Although they were swept by the Celtics in the finals, the Mavericks have already seen the hope of competing for the championship. Their core lineup has a good upper limit. It took less than half a season t

knows, this year's lone ranger did not win the championship.

Although they were swept by Celtics Gentlemen in the finals, this Mavericks have already seen the hope of competing for the championship. Their core lineup has a good upper limit. It took less than half a season to really run into , and they were in the Western Conference for three consecutive years. After finishing the round, the Mavericks eliminated the favorite Timberwolves 4-1 in the Western Conference Finals even though they were not favored.

However, this Mavericks still has shortcomings, mainly reflected in the huge gap between the first two leaders and the players behind them. They have Eastern Europe and have strong firepower, but they lack a stable third scoring point , especially the forward. On the other hand, there is defense but no offense, and it is unable to share the pressure for Eastern Europe.

For this reason, the Mavericks set their sights on pioneer 's Jerami Grant .

The latest report comes from "New York Post" reporter ian begley. At this time in the league schedule, teams have had a lot of discussions about potential trades. Many teams, including the Mavericks, are paying attention to Gerald MiGrant's situation in Portland .

Grant was traded to the Trail Blazers by the Pistons in the summer of 2022. In the summer of 2023, Grant became a free agent. At that time, many teams were chasing him on the market, but he finally chose to renew with the Trail Blazers for 160 million for 5 years. , the starting salary of this contract is 27.59 million, with a player option in the final year.

Let’s look at his performance again, in the two years since he joined the Trail Blazers:

——In the 2022-23 season, he played in 63 games, averaging 35.7 minutes per game, scoring 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, with a three-point shooting percentage of 47.5%/ 40.1%/81.3%, true shooting percentage 60.6%

- In the 2023-24 season, played 54 games, averaged 33.9 minutes per game, scored 21.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, three shooting percentages 45.1%/40.2% /81.7%, true shooting percentage 57.3%

Grant is a rookie in the 2014 class. When he first entered the league, his selling points were his excellent athletic ability and the potential to become a defensive champion. As he gradually grew up, Grant developed certain skills. He can attack with the ball and have good shooting, and his movement speed and defensive ability are very good. He is currently positioned as an offensive 3D forward.

Objectively speaking, due to the poor record of the Trail Blazers in the past two seasons and the tendency of rebuilding, Grant's data cannot be completely linked to his level. He is definitely not a qualified star, but he is definitely a top three player. Choose , especially for some championship teams, such as the Mavericks.

It is worth mentioning that Grant had a chance to compete for the championship during the Nuggets period, but he finally chose to leave and then joined the Pistons. As we know later, the Nuggets turned to Aaron Gordon—— One of Jokic's perfect partners, and successfully won the championship last summer, and is still competing for the championship now.

Although Grant missed the chance to win the championship because of this, he had more ball rights during his time with the Pistons and successfully "brushed" good data. These data also brought him a five-year 160 million contract.

Now that the big contract is in place, it’s time to rush to the championship. Moreover, the Blazers in the rebuilding period do not need to hold the 30-year-old Grant in their hands. Only by trading can the maximum value be achieved. So, Grant will be traded sooner or later. Market , I believe that not only the Mavericks, but also other strong teams will be interested in him.

Then the question becomes, what chips can the Lone Ranger provide?

GM Harrison of the Mavericks once said at the season summary conference that their top seven to eight players in average playing time per game in the playoffs do not need to change. The top seven players are Doncic, Irving, PJ Washington, Lively, Gafford, Jones Jr. (free agent), Josh Green, eighth and ninth are Kleber and Hardaway Jr.

The most ideal situation is that the Mavericks keep Jones Jr., retain the core lineup for the championship, and then trade Hardaway Jr., Kleber, and a first-round pick.

However, there are not many left in the first round of the Mavericks. is only available in 2025, 2026, and 2031. is untouched. Among them, 2026 is not tradable (only exchange rights can be provided), and 2025 and 2031 are operable. .

Want to trade Grant, but also want to get rid of Hardaway Jr.'s last year of contract. The Mavericks need more than one first-round pick, maybe two first-round picks, or a first-round and one-swap, maybe even more Take Jaden Hardy.

The Mavericks have a 25-year-old Doncic, and it looks like the future is wonderful, but to be honest, the window for a team in to win the championship may only be those few years in , especially considering that Irving is 32 years old and the young teams in the West One team is stronger than the other. If they retain the original lineup without making adjustments, can they break out of the Western Conference next season? I'm afraid no one can guarantee it.

Focusing on the present is definitely the right thing for the Mavericks, who have just returned from the Finals. Even if they have to pay a valuable first-round pick in 2031, Grant is indeed a good choice, and the contract is also cost-effective. , this can really be rushed.