Dallas is relatively thin on the wing and lacks a backup big behind rookie sensation Dereck Lively II. Furthermore, the defense once again looks like a woeful unit. Any combination of defensive-minded wings and bigs would add tremendous value to the Mavericks’ roster.

Here, we’ll discuss six attainable players that would bolster the Dallas roster, especially focusing on the defensive end of the floor.

6. Dorian Finney-Smith

A Dallas fan-favorite appears first on the list, Dorian Finney-Smith.

Finney-Smith spent his first six and a half seasons with the Mavericks. After entering the NBA as an undrafted free agent, he quickly made a name for himself as an exemplary role player.

The former Maverick is a fantastic plug-and-play option. He is capable of defending up to three positions and can play alongside any player as he tends to be low-usage.

Finney-Smith has never recorded a usage rate above 16 percent. For instance, the league average rate is nearly 20 percent. Of all 29 players this season with a usage rate below 14 percent, Finney-Smith is one of five to average double-digit points.

The veteran wing knows his role and executes it with the utmost proficiency. 67 percent of his offensive looks are from downtown. And he’s knocking down a career-high 44.8 percent of these looks this season. While Dallas does have two other players with a similar archetype, a third certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Finney-Smith is familiar with playing alongside Dallas star Luka Doncic. Luka also happens to be one of his best friends and has made it clear that he wants to play with Finney-Smith again.

In Finney-Smith’s last full season on the Mavericks, Doncic assisted on 27 percent of all his baskets. And roughly a third of his 3-pointers.

Although it may seem a bit redundant to acquire the 3-and-D wing, having a rotation of Derrick Jones Jr., Grant Williams, and Finney-Smith would pose a nightmare for opposing wings. Dallas has already reportedly shown interest in Finney-Smith, and it wouldn’t be a shocker if they made a move to get him.

5. Royce O’Neale

Surprise, another 3-and-D wing makes the list. As previously discussed, the Mavericks do roster multiple players with this archetype. However, the more the merrier.

In this case, enter Royce O’Neale. One of the many 3-and-D wings on the Brooklyn Nets roster. After trading James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving a season ago, the Nets acquired a plethora of switchable forwards.

Two of the wings are locked in, Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson. But the other two wings seem to be expendable. After starting a majority of the games a season ago, O’Neale has only started six of 30 games this season.

O’Neale’s time on the court has also declined to only 21.3 minutes per game in December after averaging 30 minutes per contest in November. On Wednesday night, O’Neale started against the Milwaukee Bucks, but he only recorded 10 minutes of action.

Like his teammate Finney-Smith, O’Neale is a low-usage, 3-point marksman. His usage percentage ranks 13th-to-last in the league. But with limited touches, he averages 2.2 3-pointers per game, a top-45 mark in the NBA.

4. Andre Drummond

The Mavericks have options on the wing but have a serious depth problem at center. While Dereck Lively II has played his role very well this season, the rest of the bigs have not played up to par.

Don’t let Dwight Powell’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves last night fool you. Although he racked up 12 points, 14 boards, and six assists, he’s no longer a regular contributor for the Mavericks.

Powell can be used from time to time, but he’s not the answer to the backup center spot. His offense has added value to Dallas, but his defense has been abysmal. Opponents score nearly seven points more per 100/possessions when Powell graces the court.

Additionally, he’s a below-adequate rebounder. If Powell were to qualify, he’d rank middle-of-the-pack in defensive rebounding percentage, surrounded by guards. That’s where Andre Drummond comes in.

Although no longer the player he once was, the 30-year-old big man is a per-36-minute star. On a per-36-minute basis, Drummond is averaging 17.1 points and 18.6 rebounds per game.

3. Isaiah Stewart

The Mavericks lack quality bigs. And with the Detroit Pistons continued losing, a firesale is more likely than not. Although Isaiah Stewart is a young big, who just signed an extension in the Summer, Detroit is flush with centers, thus his $64 million contract may be expendable.

The 6-foot-8 big man has started every game this season for the Pistons. On the year, he’s averaged 10.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.4 3-pointers per game.

Although the five-spot might be a more natural position for Stewart, he’s spent nearly 70 percent of his time at power forward. The Pistons already roster Jalen Duren, James Wiseman, and Marvin Bagley III. Thus, Stewart’s shooting ability is crucial to play the four.

As awful as Detroit’s been, Stewart’s on/off splits are an anomaly. The Pistons are 17.4 points per 100/possessions better when Stewart’s on the floor. Stewart ranks in the 100th percentile in points allowed per 100/possessions, as Detroit opponents are 12.4 points worse when the Detroit big man is on the court.

Stewart ranks second on the Pistons in defensive rating and defensive win shares. Although he’s average amongst the rest of the league in the aforementioned categories, his adequate rankings are more an indicator of the porous Detroit defense as a whole.