The Dallas Mavericks have to reinforce their roster. The Mavericks recently lost Dwight Powell to a ruptured Achilles tendon. Powell is set to miss the rest of the season. Needing to address this, the Mavericks are sending a 2020 Second Round draft pick for the Golden State Warriors big man Willie Cauley-Stein.

Powell suffered a non-contact Achilles injury in the Maverick’s loss against the Los Angeles Clippers. His numbers for the season are 9.4 points, 5.7 rebounds on 63% field goal accuracy. He became a key player in the Maverick’s rotation. Additionally, Powell developed good defensive chemistry with power forward Kristaps Porzingis.

The Dwight Powell and Willie Cauley-Stein Seasons

Dwight Powell mostly played as part of the second unit, averaging good numbers off the bench. This season, he broke into the starting unit. Along with Porzingis, the two big men added much needed defensive grit. Powell let Porzingis focus on protecting the rim. He simultaneously guarded big men away from the rim.

Offensively his numbers were above his career average. Shooting 9.4 points and grabbing 5.7 rebounds was good. More importantly, he was efficient from the field with a team-high 63% field-goal accuracy. That would be enough for being top 10 in the NBA this season.

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His injury was a blow to the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks are poised to end their 3-year playoff drought. The Mavericks possess a 28-16 record for the sixth seed. They are within a few games of the number two seed.

Willie Cauley-Stein, on the other hand, signed for the Golden State Warriors after 4 years with the Sacramento Kings. In a struggling Warriors team, his numbers have gone down. His season averages of 7.9 points, 6.2 rebounds are below his career averages.

Offensively he may have lagged but he has made up with some defensive grit. He leads the Warriors in defensive play, with a defensive plus-minus rating of 3.3.  Defensively his 1.2 blocks a game are well above his career average.

What Cauley-Stein Trade Means for the Involved Parties

According to multiple sources, the Dallas Mavericks are sending their 2020 second-round draft pick. He comes on a significantly cheaper contract, worth around $2.2 million a year until the 2020-21 season.

From the Mavericks view, they hope Cauley-Stein can average more. There’s potential he can be closer to a 15 point 7 rebound a game player. With Luka Doncic running the ball, it certainly gives Cauley-Stein the chance to score more points. His defensive prowess can help improve a league-average defence possessed by the Mavericks.

The Mavs could still be looking for additional defensive pieces. The NBA trade deadline is 6th February. The Mavericks like several other playoff-bound teams are looking for the right pieces to complement their roster.

The Golden State Warriors are at the bottom of the Western Conference. They are over 10 games behind the 8th seed, and are mostly out of the race. With Steph Curry and Klay Thompson out injured, the lone bright star has been D’Angelo Russell.

Having traded away Cauley-Stein, the Warriors might be willing to trade other players. Russell has always been thought to be a potential trading chip to net a good haul of assets. While the Warriors have denied acquiring him for purpose of trading, it’s hard to see him start when Curry and Thompson return together.

Having been hit with a hard-cap salary, the Warriors might want to tank and develop their young players this season, while letting Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green rest. The Warriors trio were key cogs in their five consecutive runs to the NBA finals. It should allow them to come back a stronger, rested team next season with Assets to acquire the right players and compete once again.