Report: Dallas Mavericks have been linked to John Collins and Marcus Smart

The Dallas Mavericks had their fair share of struggles in the early stages of the 2021-22 season, but they’ve been playing at a very high level lately.

Overall, the Mavericks are 27-20 on the season, and they’ve won 11 of their last 13 games.

With Dallas showcasing its potential lately, the organization seemingly wants to give its roster some help. The team has been linked to John Collins and Marcus Smart, according to a report.

“One dark-horse team mentioned as being interested in [Jerami] Grant was the Dallas Mavericks, with Dorian Finney-Smith and probably Dwight Powell as the primary pieces,” wrote Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. “The Mavericks have also been linked to Collins in Atlanta and Marcus Smart in Boston.”

Collins would be an interesting addition for the Mavericks. He has spent his entire NBA career with the Atlanta Hawks so far, but only time will tell if that remains the case beyond the trade deadline.

This season, Collins is averaging 17.0 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. He’s shooting 53.7 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from deep.

As for Smart, he has been with the Boston Celtics for his entire career to this point. He brings a lot of value to the table defensively, but he’s not exactly an elite offensive player.

Smart is averaging 11.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game so far in the 2021-22 campaign. He’s shooting just 39.4 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from beyond the arc.

The Mavericks are trying to get Luka Doncic some help. The young superstar is having another great season, and Dallas is hoping that he’ll be able to take the organization to the next level in the near future.

The Mavericks haven’t advanced past the first round of the NBA playoffs since the 2010-11 season, which was also the last time the team won an NBA title.