Mavericks Offseason Overview
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Christian Wood Trade: Grade A+
Dallas traded the 26th pick in the draft, Boban Marjanovic, Sterling Brown, Trey Burke, and Marquese Chriss to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Christian Wood.
Wood is a talented big that is undoubtedly an upgrade over all the big men in the Mavericks rotation last season. He should be able to come in and play at least 25 minutes per game and be a key player during the Mavericks' playoff push next year. Woods has been a solid big for the Rockets, but it is not a guarantee that Woods's acquisition will result in a finals appearance for his new team.
He is on an expiring deal, which can be beneficial to both the team and him because if he isn't a good fit, the Mavericks can easily move on from him. However, they will still have the opportunity to re-sign him to a longer deal. Wood will likely play his hardest and best basketball because it's a contract year.
If Wood can keep up his production of around 18 points and 10 rebounds per game, the Mavericks will be able to strengthen their play on the glass and create more points in transition. He shot 50 percent from the field and 39 percent from the three last season and will be a great threat in the five-out offense as a roll man in the pick-and-roll with Luka Doncic and spot-up shooter from the three.
The Mavericks clearly won this trade, giving away three players that were not in the rotation and a late first-round draft pick for a much-needed upgrade at the center position.
Credit: Fadeaway World
Jalen Brunson signed a four-year, $104 million deal with the knicks: Grade D
Possible tampering by the New York Knicks, along with a huge payday, led Brunson to leave Dallas for the Knicks before the free agency officially began.
More holes than expected will have to be filled by the Mavericks during free agency. The loss of Brunson will be huge for the Mavericks. He was Luka Doncic's number two and great facilitator coach Jason Kidd could trust with the ball in his hand. Able to create his own shot while setting up teammates and limiting turnovers, Brunson will be able to play valuable minutes that end with production. I expect him to average around 20 points and five assists per game next season. The Mavericks will be losing one of their most consistent ball handlers and around 20 PPG of production with Brunson's exit, which will not be easily replaced.
New York easily overpaid for Brunson's services, and I do not fault the Mavericks for not matching the offer. Still, with other factors outside money attracting Brunson as well, it seems Dallas had no chance to re-sign him. The contract will pay Brunson $26 million a year, which is high, but I assume the Knicks are paying for the potential they see in him.
Furthermore, I don't understand why Brunson would leave Dallas after making a deep playoff push last season for a franchise with no star and no direction. R.J. Barrett will still be the number one option for the Knicks, and with Brunson starting at point guard alongside him, I still don't consider the Knicks roster a threat to make the playoffs.
Without much cap room, the Mavericks' front office will have to be creative to attract other free agents capable of replicating Brunson's production to the team. It is a tough loss for Dallas, but ultimately, they had no chance to retain Brunson and will have to remain aggressive to target other free agents.
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Mavericks sign JaVale McGee: Grade C-
The Mavericks signed JaVale McGee to a three-year, $20.1 million deal.
While McGee will bring a veteran presence to the locker room, I hoped to see the Mavericks target a younger player to pair with Doncic like Mo Bamba or Bol Bol. McGee knows his role and will play within his strengths, but no more growth is left to his game.
Beyond a lob-threat and big body to set screens, McGee has no other roles within the Mavericks' five-out offense. I'm curious to see what Jason Kidd plans to do with the big man rotation with Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber, and McGee all fighting for minutes at the backup center spot.
I would opt for Powell or Kleber over McGee because they have spent time in the system playing with Doncic. Their ability to stretch the floor makes them a slightly better option on the floor for offense, but McGee is the better defensive player. Kleber still has the ability to play minutes at the power forward position for Dallas, allowing the Mavericks to have good height and presence in the paint with a Kleber-Woods or Kleber-McGee lineup.
McGee is a solid pickup, but the Mavericks need at least two more signings at the point guard and wing positions. Ball handling and scoring off the bench are the two biggest needs Dallas has to address after the signing of McGee and the loss of Brunson.
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Overall Grade: C-
The Mavericks made some moves, but in the end, there is no doubt that losing Brunson was a big loss. The roster has improved in certain areas but did not make the improvements everyone was awaiting. The franchise will need to remain open to trades during the season and ensure that Doncic will have a strong supporting cast. All eyes will be on the Mavericks, looking to see how they perform with the new addition of Wood following the playoff appearance last season.
