It’s safe to say no one saw the Dallas Mavericks as a real threat in a packed Western Conference, but many didn’t see this coming. The Mavs are truly one of the league’s bottom feeders, as they sit half a game out of last place in the West with a paltry 16-33 record.

With a rebuild set to be underway for the post-Dirk Nowitzki era, it may behoove the Mavs to examine all options with the trade deadline approaching. One of their few tradeable assets is veteran wing Wesley Matthews, who will likely be brought up in discussions in coming weeks. Marc Stein of the NY Times reports that the Mavs would pull the trigger on a Wes Matthews deal if they get a 1st-round pick in return.

It would take a first-round pick to get him, because Dallas sees him as one of its culture-setters, but league sources say that the Mavs would part with Wes Matthews before the Feb. 8 trade deadline if they can get a first in return

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 25, 2018

The Mavs have a franchise point guard in rookie NC State product Dennis Smith Jr. and now, surrounding him with pieces will be vital. The best way to add to young talent, is with more young talent via the draft, something Mark Cuban and the rest of the Dallas front office know well.

Matthews has been serviceable in his 3-year stint with the Mavericks but Dallas will need to start from the ground up if they hope to be a contender down the road. The need for fresh, young talent makes Matthews and his 4 year, $70M contract largely expendable if the right trade partner is found.

Matthews is averaging 12.8 points per game this year while shooting nearly 39 percent from three-point range. Expect a contender to make a run at Matthews ahead of the trade deadline but the Mavs asking price of a 1st-rounder is quite far-fetched and unlikely to be fulfilled.

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