LATEST UPDATE : Dallas Mavericks’ last minute trades have greater impact than initially thought

Dallas’ late-season success may be attributed in large part to the trades they made at the deadline.
What was once deemed a lost season for the Dallas Mavericks has turned out to be another promising one under Luka Doncic. Leading up to the February trade deadline, the Mavericks were just a few games above.500 at 26-23 and out of the playoff picture. Many people questioned if Kyrie Irving was a solid long-term match for Luka.

The front administration recognized improvements would be required to transform this team into a playoff contender before the regular season ended in April. However, they made some solid moves at the deadline.

Many others believed that Dallas was simply putting a band-aid on a bullet wound and that the team still needed a lot of work before becoming a perennial Western Conference contender.
As we can see now, this has not been the case. The Mavericks’ acquisitions of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford have proven to be huge successes, propelling this team to fifth place in the standings and nearly securing home court in the playoffs in what is widely regarded as an extremely deep and competitive Western Conference.

These two individuals and their talents do not appear to be one-hit wonders, either. Both have had such an immediate and significant impact that it is appropriate to consider their effect.

The impact on the Mavs might be long-term.
P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford have filled significant roster gaps.
Both Washington and Gafford have filled gaps on this squad where impact players were previously absent. P.J., who formerly played for the Charlotte Hornets, is a versatile big wing who can impact the game in a variety of ways. His ability to hit threes, drive on closeouts, and defend numerous spots has been vital to this squad, so it’s no surprise that he’s made his way into the starting lineup.

Perfection 🤌 Daniel Gafford is the first player in the play-by-play era to record multiple streaks of 20+ consecutive FGM. #MFFL pic.twitter.com/iFuGil38Rl

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) April 11, 2024

Gafford’s contribution has been different, but no less valuable than Washington’s. Daniel, a muscular presence in the interior, confuses opponents by deflecting and blocking shots at the basket, in addition to being a very efficient rim runner and lob threat. Luka Doncic has certainly been overjoyed to have Gafford available to pass the ball to.

Both of these players have been significant game changers for Dallas, setting them up to play in different ways and providing high-level options in their rotation. Fans may now fully believe that Luka has lots of support, and not just from a well-known’star’ player. In the end, that could be for the best. As we can see with the Phoenix Suns right now, assembling a squad with a slew of famous personalities that don’t necessarily work well together is a prescription for limited success. The Mavericks’ methodology of finding guys who precisely complement their franchise star is significantly superior, as evidenced by P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford.