The Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets are two teams that are coming off particularly disappointing seasons. The Texas teams looked like they would have a much bigger impact in the postseason. Unfortunately, only one of them made it there.
The Mavs were one of the most peculiar organizations to follow in the 2024-25 season. Coming off an NBA Finals appearance and featuring an incredible star duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Dallas looked set to run it back and hopefully, win it all this time around.
But a shocking move to trade Doncic for Anthony Davis practically flipped their season on its head. With injuries following the trade, the Mavs slowly but surely found themselves out of the playoffs after being eliminated by the Memphis Grizzlies in the Play-In tournament.
Meanwhile, the Rockets were one of the best teams in the regular season. After securing the second seed in the West, they seemed primed to make a deep playoff run with their young core being led by Alperen Sengun. But a 4-3 loss to the Warriors in the first round swiftly ended any hopes of that.
Heading into the offseason, it became clear that both teams needed to make adjustments. The Mavs enjoy the benefit of having the first pick in the upcoming draft. Meanwhile, the Rockets have been linked to some big names in the trade market. However, swinging a trade to land a superstar poses a challenge to both teams.
With this in mind, we take a look at a trade that could prove to be mutually beneficial to both teams, without necessarily costing either their entire reserves of assets.
Proposed Trade Details
Dallas Mavericks Receive: Dillon Brooks, Cam Whitmore, 2025 second-round pick, 2027 second-round pick
Houston Rockets Receive: Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Jaden Hardy
The Mavericks Acquire A Defensive Presence And A Young Scorer
The trade proposal could be of benefit to the Mavericks as they land Dillon Brooks and Cam Whitmore in the process. Although Brooks has cultivated a rather "polarizing" presence, he has showcased enough defensive upside to have been selected to the NBA's All-Defensive Team last season, something that could be of benefit to Dallas.
At 29 years old, the Rockets forward is significantly more spry than Klay Thompson at this point in his career. His averages of 17.0 points and 3.7 rebounds will add some value to the rotation, especially factoring in his shooting splits of 39.7% from beyond the three-point line.
Currently, Whitmore is a bit of a diamond in the rough. He has displayed tremendous potential as a flat-out scorer, but due to limited playing time on the Rockets, he hasn't been able to cultivate a stat line that can support this claim.
The 20-year-old recorded an average of 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in the 2024-25 season with only 16.2 minutes played per game. His scoring ability when given minutes was put on display when he dropped 34 points in 37 minutes against the Lakers this season.
Meanwhile, Dallas also receives the 2025 and 2027 second-round draft picks from Houston. While they could look to use these to draft young talent, it is more likely that they will hold onto these to use as assets in other trades.
The addition of Whitmore and Brooks is primarily to strengthen the Mavs' overall rotation. The team is currently shorthanded with Kyrie Irving being sidelined due to injury. But the team boasts immense potential all the same. With the likelihood of Dallas drafting Cooper Flagg this season, a lineup featuring him and Davis requires adequate support on the wings.
It is also worth noting that the Mavericks have been on the lookout for a playmaker. With Chris Paul emerging as a target, the team could benefit from having more two-way players available at their disposal.
The Rockets Receive The Right Veteran For Their Future
The acquisition of Klay Thompson could be massive for the Rockets for multiple reasons. While Thompson doesn't pose an offensive threat consistently, he could be vital in opening up the floor for other shooters to get free.
Thompson is coming off a rather underwhelming season with the Mavericks. The 34-year-old put up respectable averages of 14.0 points on 39.1% shooting from beyond the arc. While it was evident that his defensive ability had already started waning, his offense looked to be on the downturn as well.
However, Thompson's value to the Rockets goes beyond the tangible. As a four-time NBA champion, the guard brings championship pedigree and experience, something the team had been lacking.
His guidance could prove to be invaluable in developing the young players in Houston and showing them what it takes to make a deep playoff run. This would be particularly helpful for Rockets' star Jalen Williams, who had a horror series of performances in the first round.
Meanwhile, Houston can also look forward to the addition of solid role players in PJ Washington and Jaden Hardy.
Washington had a great season with the Mavericks, averaging 14.7 points and 7.8 rebounds on 45.3% shooting from the field. He has also been a reliable floor spacer, recording shooting splits of 38.1% from three-point territory.
It is also important to note that Washington is in the last year of his contract. This could be of interest to Houston as it allows them to free up at least $14.1 million in cap space next summer.
Jaden Hardy is on a significantly friendlier contract, earning $6.0 million over the next three years. With an average of 8.7 points per game on 43.5% FG and 38.6% from three-point land for the season, he makes for a solid scoring option off the bench.
The overall benefit in this trade lies in the Rockets' availability of role players to step in at a moment's notice. Should the team manage to acquire a superstar via trade as well, Houston could very well be in a position to emerge as a legitimate powerhouse in the West.
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