Dallas Mavericks: Free Agency Plans Setting Up For Important Summer

A few Dallas Mavericks players have already revealed their plans for what’s setting up to be a crucial free agency period.

The Dallas Mavericks‘ 2015-16 season came to an end after a first round series loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, setting the tone for free agency.

After pulling together another roster full of one-year deals and short-term pieces, the team looked to ride the storm and set out in search of another superstar. With players like Raymond Felton, Zaza Pachulia, David Lee and Salah Mejri set to become unrestricted free agents, the Mavs will have plenty to deal with, not to mention the fact that three of their starters have player options.

Luckily for them, those three players have recently made their summer plans known.

First is Dirk Nowitzki, whose summer did not exactly depend on whether or not he would opt in or opt out, but if he would retire after an unfortunate season. Nowitzki repeatedly stated that he wanted to finish off his three-year contract, but head coach Rick Carlisle mentioned, after the Game 5 loss, that we would have to “hope that this isn’t Dirk’s last game as a Maverick.”

Fortunately, Nowitzki quickly reiterated that he planned on finishing his contract unless the Mavs decided to go into rebuilding mode.

For Chandler Parsons, it had been another disappointing end to the year. He suffered another season-ending knee injury and was forced to watch as his team competed in the playoffs. During the season, rumors came about that suggested he could opt out and find a new team in the summer. His hometown team, the Orlando Magic, or his former team, the Houston Rockets, both seemed like viable options.

After the season was over, Parsons expressed his interest in staying with Dallas (via ESPN.com):

"“In the back of my head, Dallas is home to me. I loved it here. I came here to be a great player and to win a lot of games, and I’ve yet to do that here. I feel like I have a lot of unfinished business here [and] I would love to continue and grow into the player that I saw myself being when I signed here. The quicker we can get that done allows me to start recruiting and doing that whole thing.”"

Parsons will most likely opt out and there is reason to believe the Mavs could offer him a max contract. That would certainly be a risk, considering the fact that he hasn’t truly showed what he’s capable of doing in the playoffs as a member of the team.

That leads up to Deron Williams, who missed Games 3 and 5, as well as the majority of Game 4, due to a sports hernia. It’s likely that the Mavs will retain both Nowitzki and Parsons, but Williams’ future with the team is not as certain.

He proved that he was tougher than a lot of people thought, as he continued to try to battle through his injury in the playoffs, but that didn’t overshadow the amount of minor injures that he suffered throughout the course of the regular season. Recently, he made it known that he would opt out of the second year of his deal to pursue a long-term situation.

He showed that he can score critical clutch baskets and I’m sure the Mavs would love to bring him back, should they fail to sign someone else.

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That “someone else” could mean a few different options this summer. The prized point guard possession is obviously Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzlies, who will be an unrestricted free agent. As a key defender and quality scorer, Conley provides the complete package in terms of a player that you want leading the attack.

A few other options could come in the form of Jordan Clarkson (restricted) or Jeremy Lin (player option), who the Mavs had interest in last summer.

Switching over to the rest of the free agent pool, Dwight Howard seems like one of the most likely options for the Mavs, despite how unpopular the decision might seem. Chandler Parsons, should he remain with the Mavs next season, already said he would recruit him.

One thing that could deter a possible Parsons/Howard reunion would be the Mavs not offering a max contract, which they aren’t expected to do.

As for other possible additions, it’s safe to rule out LeBron James (player option) and Kevin Durant, especially after he called Mark Cuban an “idiot” after Game 5. Pau Gasol is a possibility but the Mavs are much more likely to pursue a big-name center like Al Horford, Hassan Whiteside or Joakim Noah, as that is their weakest position.

In my opinion, it would be in the best interest of the team to simply start off by centering their attention around Conley, Horford or any other star player they plan to pursue.

Going after Durant, when it’s highly unlikely that he leaves OKC in the first place, would be a waste of time and would provide other teams with the opportunity to establish an edge with the secondary players available. With Matthews, a healthy Parsons, and Nowitzki, adding another point guard or center who is in their prime would be much more plausible than the ultimate prize, which has not gone to them in the past three offseasons.

More hoops habit: 3 Positive Takeaways From The Mavs' 2015-16 Season

The Mavs will again be looking for a winning formula this summer. Taking care of players like Chandler Parsons early on in July will provide them with more time to look into their future as a relatively shallow free agent class is set to hit the market.