Dallas Mavericks trade bid for NBA champ on expiring $23M deal rejected: Report

The Dallas Mavericks haven't shied away from making bold moves this summer to bolster their hopes of winning a championship after making the NBA Finals last season. They acquired Klay Thompson on a $50 million contract via sign-and-trade and signed Naji Marshall on a three-year $27 million deal.

However, the Mavs weren't just looking to limit their offseason to these two moves. According to Sports Illustrated's Jakoba Reynolds, Dallas also inquired about former NBA champion Bruce Brown. However, their bid was reportedly rejected by the Toronto Raptors, Brown's current team.

Brown would have been an excellent addition to the Mavericks. He is on an expiring $23 million contract. The former Nets and Nuggets wing is one of the most versatile role players who can play one through four offensively or defensively.

He was crucial to Denver's 2023 title success in a sixth-man role. The Dallas Mavericks could have used his defensive capabilities, if anything, to a great extent, as it held them back during their NBA Finals series loss to the Boston Celtics.

Bruce Brown can also make plays and score efficiently with a solid driving game. He isn't much of a threat from the 3-point line, but he can knock down the odd shot from range at a serviceable rate.

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Dallas Mavericks remain ahead of the curve as rest of the Western Conference marginally downgrades

The Dallas Mavericks had one of the best summers this season after adding Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall. They addressed a few of their glaring weaknesses by adding a third option-caliber scorer in Thompson and a versatile two-way threat like Marshall.

Meanwhile, the OKC Thunder were probably the only team to improve in the conference after adding Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein, with Josh Giddey as their only prominent departure.

The rest of the teams have marginally downgraded, at least on paper, or remained the same as last year. The Timberwolves traded Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. While DiVincenzo is a solid fit, Minnesota might struggle to offer him minutes. On the other hand, Randle seems like a misfit, especially next to Rudy Gobert.

Meanwhile, the Clippers lost Paul George, the Nuggets saw Kentavious Caldwell-Pope depart, the Lakers haven't made any significant moves, and the Warriors marginally upgraded but are seemingly not a threat to the Mavericks without a reliable secondary option.

The Pelicans and Kings signed Dejounte Murray and DeMar DeRozan, respectively, but aren't touted to make a swing atop the conference, either.