Rockets Mavericks 4-for-3 plans, Thompson goes to Space City to help the team make the playoffs again

According to the article by Sidant Gupta, a contributor to US sports media F/W. Dallas and Houston are two teams with particularly disappointing performances in the season. Texas teams look like they will have a bigger impact in the playoffs. Unfortunately, only one of them got there.

The Mavericks are one of the most peculiar teams in the 2024-25 season. After playing in the NBA Finals and having an incredible star duo Doncic and Irving, Dallas looks ready to win a title and hopes to win this time. But the shocking move of Doncic for Davis actually upended their season. After they were eliminated by the Grizzlies in the playoffs due to post-trade injuries, the team wanted to make a comeback next season.

Meanwhile, the Rockets are one of the best teams in the regular season. After winning the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, they seem ready to make it to the playoffs under Shin Kyung. But a 4-3 loss to the Warriors soon ended any hope. Entering the offseason, it is obvious that both teams need to make adjustments. The Mavericks hold the No. 1 pick this year, and the Rockets have been linked to some star players in the trading market. However, getting a superstar through trades is a big challenge for both teams. With that in mind, let's look at a deal that may be both teams favorable without spending their entire asset reserves.

Mavericks got: Dillon, Whitmore, 2025 and 2027 second-round draft picks

Rockets got: Thompson, PJ Washington, Hardy

Mavericks got a defensive player and a young scorer

in the process won Dillon and Whitmore. Although Dillon's performance in the league was two extremes, he has shown enough defensive advantages to being selected to the NBA's best defensive team last season, which could be good for Dallas. The 29-year-old Rockets forward is clearly more agile than Thompson at this stage of his career. His average of 17.0 points and 3.7 rebounds will add some value to the rotation, especially given his 39.7% shooting percentage from outside the 3-point line.

Whitmore is a bit like a raw diamond. As a full-time scorer, he has shown great potential, but due to limited playing time with the Rockets, he has been unable to develop a data line that can support that claim. The 20-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in the 2024-25 season and averaged only 16.2 minutes of playing time. He scored 34 points in 37 minutes in this season's game against the Lakers, demonstrating his scoring ability. And also acquired second round picks from the Rockets in 2025 and 2027 to retain these as assets in other deals.

Whitmore and Dillon were added mainly to strengthen the overall rotation of the Mavericks. The team is currently short of manpower and Irving is absent due to injury. But this team still has great potential. It is possible to pick Flag this season, so the roster featuring him and Davis needs to provide enough support on the wing. The Rockets have acquired the right veteran for their future for a number of reasons, the acquisition of Thompson could be huge for the Rockets. While Thompson doesn’t always pose an offensive threat, he may play a key role in opening up free space for other shooters. Thompson had a pretty bland season with the Mavericks. The 34-year-old averaged 14.0 points per game with a 39.1% outside shooting percentage, and was declining on both ends of the offense and defense. However, Thompson's value to the Rockets exceeds what the data presents. As a four-time NBA champion, the defender brought championship bloodline and experience that the team has always lacked.

His guidance is invaluable for nurturing young players in Houston and showing them how to go deep into the playoffs. This was particularly helpful to Rockets star Green, who played a series of horrifying performances in the first round. Meanwhile, Houston can also look forward to the joining of reliable role players such as Washington and Hardy. Washington averaged 14.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, shooting 45.3% from the field and 38.1% from three-pointers. Washington is in the final year of his contract. This could spark interest in Houston as at least $14.1 million in cap space is released next summer.

Hardy's contract is much more friendly, with revenues of $6 million over the next three years. This season, he averaged 8.7 points per game, shooting 43.5% from the field and 38.6% from three-pointers, making him a reliable scoring option on the bench. The overall benefit of this deal is that the Rockets have role players that can plug and play at any time. If the team still wants to get a superstar through the trade, Houston is likely to be a qualified Western Conference team, but the cost will be higher. What do you think?