Door just swung wide open for Mavericks to make trade Luka Doncic would love

The NBA trade deadline is less than a week away, and while there have only been a handful of trades made around the league so far this season, things are poised to pick up very quickly over the next seven days.

While the Dallas Mavericks have been known as one of the most active teams ahead of the trade deadline when it comes to calling around, rumors surrounding who they have shown interest in have been relatively thin outside of their “strong” interest in Herbert Jones of the New Orleans Pelicans. Nico Harrison keeps his cards close to his chest when it comes to what he is planning to do ahead of each year’s trade deadline, but it’s a given that he is always trying to improve the roster.

Harrison has made a move at the trade deadline every year that he has worked for the Mavericks, and this year could bring more of the same depending on what approach he decides to take. It’s clear that he isn’t going to make a trade to try to fix Dallas’ current injury issue, as Dallas has proven they are a top team in the NBA when they’re fully healthy, but there is one trade that could be on the table soon that would thrill Luka Doncic who has been out since Christmas Day with a calf strain.

Dallas could explore pairing Bogdanovic with Doncic

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Atlanta Hawks have been “actively exploring the trade market” (subscription required) when it comes to moving Bogdan Bogdanovic. Stein added that Bogdanovic still has “fans around the league” despite having a down year shooting the ball, and there have been “credible whispers this week that he could be on the move.”

Playing with Bogdanovic would likely be a dream come true for Doncic considering the close friendship they share, and Dallas could potentially convince Atlanta to deal him for a cheap price at some point over the next week. Bogdanovic is having a down year with the Hawks as he is posting career lows nearly across the entire board, but his skill as a shooter is undeniable, regardless of what the numbers this season say (30.1 percent from downtown on 6.1 attempts per game).

While Dallas’ priority seems to be adding frontcourt depth and or a lockdown perimeter defender, adding another shooter is not a bad idea. The Mavericks are ranked 12th in the NBA in 3-pointers made with 632 and ninth in the NBA in 3-point percentage, which are both respectable numbers, and adding Bogdanovic into the mix could help boost both of these numbers to the moon.

With the shot-creation abilities of Doncic, Bogdanovic would be getting some of the best looks of his career, and he’d be provided with a fresh start playing for the Mavericks. Playing next to Doncic has helped resurrect several different players’ careers when it comes to the shots that he creates for them, and the same could be said about Bogdanovic if the Mavericks make a move for him.

Bogdanovic is averaging 10.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 0.8 steals per game this season while shooting 37.1 percent from the field and 30.1 percent from three, and all of these numbers are way down from what he posted last season when he was in conversations of being one of the best bench players in the NBA. His 3-point shooting off the catch makes him someone that defenses always have to account for, and he would make Dallas’ bench even more deadly if he could improve his efficiency.

Dallas’ main priority should remain to add a perimeter defender, but if Atlanta ends up pushing hard to trade Boogdanovic, the opportunity may be too good for Dallas to pass up.

After this season, Bogdanovic is set to make $16 million next season before having a team option for $16 million for the 2026-27 season, and he could be a good investment if Dallas thinks they can get him playing like a Sixth Man of the Year candidate again.