Trade Deadline Series: Mavs’ Player Market Value (Part 3)

Welcome to day three of our series, in which we are looking at teach Mavericks player and their value on the trade market with other teams. Be sure to check back every day as we count down towards the trade deadline.

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Players: Jae Crowder and Shane Larkin

Do these young studs have any trade value even when their prime is still years away?

Salaries:

Crowder- $788,872  Larkin – $1,536,960

Age:

Crowder – 23 years 7 months, Larkin – 25 years, 11 months

Season Stats:

Crowder: 5.1 PPG – 2.5 RPG – 0.9 APG.  Larkin: 3.4 PPG -1.7 APG – 1.1 RPG

Potential: 

Crowder – Solid 3 and D starter on a quality playoff team. Could be high energy guy off bench for contender also.

Larkin – Starter for a fringe playoff team. Highly productive bench guy for a playoff team.

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Trade Value:

Crowder, who averaged 17.3 minutes per game as a rookie, has established himself as an aggressive second year rotation player for a Dallas team that has been in need of grit and grind wing player. He’s a rugged, relentless defender who doesn’t rebound as well as you’d want from a forward (2.5 per game this season) in part due to being undersized and limited athletically. Crowder’s offensive contributions primarily come in catch-and-shoot situations. There is still definitely room for improvement as he is shooting just 33% from 3 and 43% overall from the field. Crowder’s rookie contract includes a team option of $915,243 which any team who owns his rights would surely pick up given the bargain he has become. Ideally, Crowder could eventually develop into a DeShawn Stevenson type player from the 2011 title team. A low minutes starter that specializes on defense but will also make the defense pay if he is left open from 3. Trade value wise, Crowder is most likely staying put as the Mavs believe he can eventually fill the starting role that Shawn Marion will leave behind most likely this off season. If Crowder were to be dealt, the Mavs would almost certainly ask for a player close to his caliber in return (such as a Dorrell Wright from Portland or Maurice Harkless from Orlando) or he could be traded to the right contender possibly for a 1st round pick down the line. Either way, Crowder (with his very low paying salary) is one of the Mavs’ bigger assets and the Mavs will likely stand pat if offers do come, unless they could turn the former 2nd round pick into a future 1st rounder.

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Larkin was initially drafted to be a backup point guard his rookie season. However, free agency this past summer proved otherwise as the Mavs brought in Devin Harris and Gal Mekel to also compete for the backup spot. After twice trading down, the Mavs selected Larkin with the 18th overall pick in the draft. Larkin suffered a broken ankle in the Mavs summer league team’s final practice before leaving for Las Vegas, an injury that required surgery to repair. Larkin eventually would make his debut in the 11th game of the season, beginning a merry-go-round of minutes between him and Mekel as the two battled often for the backup minutes on a game to game basis. That all changed when Devin Harris came back in mid-January when Harris returned from injury, as a result Larkin has only played 48 minutes in about a month. Larkin is still young though and Coach Rick Carlisle has compared Larkin to J.J. Barea, the pick-and-roll-running sparkplug who played a critical role as a part-time starter on the Mavs’ 2011 title team. Larkin, who has elite speed, quickness and leaping ability, surely has the potential to fill that role but it doesn’t seem it will happen on this year’s team. Larkin is still just 21 years old and the Mavs most likely want to include him in their future plans. If Larkin were to be on the market, it is not out of reason for the Mavs to ask in return for a future first round pick or even a young quick scorer similar to Larkin such as Nate Wolters from Milwaukee or Shelvin Mack from the Hawks. More than likely however the Mavs will probably stand pat on offers for Larkin unless another team gives them an offer they simply can’t resist.

Days until trade deadline: 8 days

Stay tuned!