Mavericks linked to notable former player in trade buzz

The Dallas Mavericks may be trying to recoup some of the costs of the Kyrie Irving trade.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported Wednesday that the Mavericks are looking into various versatile forwards ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline. One such forward they are being linked to is Dorian Finney-Smith of the Brooklyn Nets.

The 30-year-old Finney-Smith, who is signed through 2026, spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Mavs from 2016-23. But he was sent to Brooklyn at last year’s trade deadline as part of the blockbuster trade for Irving. A talented role player who is a forceful defender at 6-foot-7 and is shooting a career-high 40.4 percent from deep this season, Finney-Smith has retained strong value.

While the Mavs have found something special in their back line with rookie big man Dereck Lively II, their wing defense has suffered since they traded Finney-Smith. The ex-Florida Gator Finney-Smith had a key role in Dallas’ 2022 Western Conference Finals run, and they would clearly love to have him back (if they can fend off at least one big West foe for his services).