Radio Silence: Where are the Mavericks?
Kevin Jairaj (USA TODAY Sports)
Following the Dallas Mavericks' impressive Western Conference Finals appearance, eyes have been on the franchise. Fans were eager to see the Mavericks continue to make moves to bolster the roster following the Christian Wood trade. Their limited cap space wouldn't allow the Mavericks to pursue any superstars. Still, with a great group of role players available in the free agency, the Mavericks were expected to target players to come off the bench and help Luka Doncic.
Instead, the Mavericks have made only one signing through free agency, JaVale McGee, on a three-year, $20 million. On top of the acquisition of the two bigs, the Mavericks traded for the 37th overall selection to select Jaden Hardy, which was a great draft pick that could see Hardy become a sleeper pick for Rookie of The Year.
However, Dallas lost a significant player in the system in Jalen Brunson. Unable to meet with Brunson or negotiate a sign and trade to a team of his choice, the Mavericks lost their starting point guard for nothing in return. The news was deflating to everyone, and the possibility of running it back was now out the window. And although Spencer Dinwiddie will be able to step into a starting role, the Mavericks have serious concerns to address, such as the Mavericks' starting lineup, bench rotation, and, most importantly, who will be the backup point guard.
A lack of ball handlers and rebounding were two killer weaknesses that the Mavericks had exposed during the 2021-22 playoffs. Doncic had a more than impressive playoff performance carrying the team with double-doubles and high-scoring games, but if the Mavericks truly want to win, they have to put better players around Doncic. Isolation offense is harder to execute during the playoffs, especially when you reduce the number of players who can beat defenders one-on-one. This style also comes with many shots coming late in the shot clock and turnovers if your ball handlers don't make good decisions.
Kim Klement (USA TODAY Sports)
The most important thing for the Mavericks is to please Doncic; he has been very expressive about wanting the Mavericks to bring in more talent. Doncic is a great talent that knows what it takes to win a championship and consistently leads the Mavericks to wins through blowouts and comebacks. The Mavericks have Doncic signed for the next five years, but if they want him to resign again when it's time, major moves will need to be made.
The Mavericks have a history of being radio silent during the offseason and have never been a free agent destination. In the past ten years, the Mavericks' most high-profile signing was an aging Vince Carter in 2011. Although Carter was still a good player at the time, the Mavericks have not shown an ability to attract true all-stars or superstars to the franchise. To exacerbate their free agency struggles, the Mavericks also tend to let their best role players walk away for nothing in return, leaving them with cap space and no talent during the season.
Doncic has the talent and leadership abilities to win an NBA championship, similar to Dirk Nowitzki. However, the challenges of having a competitive roster are even more important than in 2011. The Mavericks are in a good position but are still missing key pieces that prevent them from being a true contender.
