Michael Mulford

With just under three weeks remaining until the NBA trade deadline, the rumors and speculation is starting to swirl, and the Dallas Mavericks seem to be involved in many of them. Currently, the Mavs sit as the No. 6 team in the Western Conference, but to truly enter contender status among the top teams in the league, Dallas needs to amp up its defense on the perimeter.

Despite getting Luka Doncic back after a three-game absence, notching yet another triple-double, 33 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, the Dallas Mavericks struggled to slow down LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers, losing 127-110. As for Kyrie Irving, who was playing his best basketball of the season over the last five games since returning from injury himself, he scored just 12 points on 4-16 shooting from the floor.

Through the first half of the season, the Dallas Mavericks own a 24-18 record as they sit as the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. That's solid for a team that has endured several key injuries, but Dallas still needs upgrades. With the trade deadline only three weeks away, the Mavs, like most hopeful playoff and contending teams, find themselves in the middle of several trade talks and speculation.