The Dallas Mavericks have had a mostly middling defense this season, and they may be trying to address that ahead of the trade deadline.
In a feature on Wednesday, Christian Clark of The Athletic mentioned New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones as a possible trade target for the Mavs. Clark notes that Dallas has contemplated trying to add an impact perimeter defender before the Feb. 6 deadline.
Jones, 26, certainly fits that billing as a disruptive 6-foot-7 wing stopper who made the All-Defensive First Team last season. While Jones’ offensive game is inconsistent, he is averaging career highs across the board this year with 11.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.
Though Dallas is 20-13 this season (No. 4 in the West), they have had a defensive drop-off relative to their Finals run last season, likely due to the departure of top perimeter defender Derrick Jones Jr. in free agency. Thus, the Pelicans, who are the worst team in the NBA right now at 5-28, are a plausible trade partner for them (though there are some signs that New Orleans may not necessarily be willing to trade Jones).
