NBA Rumors: Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks Talking Big Trade

The Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks will be two of the busier teams as we head towards the Draft and into free agency this summer. Both squads need to improve on disappointing seasons, and according to a report from Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the two teams have discussed a multiple-asset trade. 

Report: The Mavs offered Dāvis Bertāns and the No. 10 pick for John Collins and the No. 15 pick, per @JakeLFischer 👀#MFFL pic.twitter.com/uMCBOaZqTV

— MFFL (@Mavs_FFL) June 15, 2023

John Collins, of course, has been on the trade block for seemingly years, and they're still investigating trade scenarios. Fischer writes that they've had  "preliminary talks with Dallas about swapping Collins and the No. 15 pick in the draft with the Mavericks for the No. 10 pick and Dāvis Bertāns."

But it appears that the Mavs came back with a demand that center Clint Capela be substituted for Collins in that deal in order for them to consider it.

The Mavericks are certainly looking to use that No. 10 pick to obtain some proven help for their roster. After all, they worked hard to tank those last few games of the season in order to retain the asset. 

Collins had a down year in Atlanta, with his scoring plummeting to just 13.1 points per game—his lowest mark, by far, since his rookie year back in 2017-18. His rebounding numbers also dipped, to a career-low 6.5. 

Capela, however, provides the kind of rim-protecting defense that Dallas is in dire need of. The nine-year veteran center averaged 11 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots this past season for the Hawks. 

Photo: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports