The Dallas Mavericks made their first moves of the offseason by agreeing to terms with a couple of players from their 2015-16 team.
After striking out on Mike Conley and Hassan Whiteside, the Dallas Mavericks had to move on to their next plan. Nearly three-days after free agency began, they hit the market and reached agreements on new contracts with Deron Williams and Dwight Powell.
First up was Powell, who was a restricted free agent. As first reported by Shams Charania of The Vertical, the Mavs agreed with Powell to a four-year, $37 million deal with a player option for the fourth year.
Powell is the only remaining piece from the Rajon Rondo trade back in December 2014. At 24 years old, he averaged 5.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game for his 2015-16 season.
He also participated in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge, adding in 12 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two steals for Team World.
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Powell will be entering his third year in the NBA when the 2016-17 season starts. He had to earn his minutes last season but when he did, he used his strength to grab tough rebounds down low while adding in well-earned points in the paint.
At times, he is capable of hitting mid-range jumpers and the Mavs are likely hoping that he can become a better shooter in the next few years.
Powell’s deal may seem a little high for a player that the average NBA fan hasn’t heard of, but he is capable of earning every cent if he truly grows into the type of talent that he is working towards right now.
Paired with Justin Anderson, he could end up being a key part of the Mavs’ future after Dirk Nowitzki.
Next up was Williams, who earned a one-year, $10 million deal, as reported by Marc Stein of ESPN.
The Mavericks and Deron Williams, sources say, have come to terms on a one-year deal for $10 million
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 4, 2016
Williams came to Dallas last summer after being bought out by the Brooklyn Nets. He averaged 14.1 points, 5.8 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 32.4 minutes per game last season.
While he only played in 65 regular season games and missed three games in the playoffs, Williams was a very important piece for the Mavs. As the primary floor general all season long, he was one of the best scorers for the team, but his specialty came during clutch moments.
Williams led the entire team with 3.7 clutch points per game (NBA.com/Stats). He was great at hitting a late three or making a nice play to earn a key basket. One of his best moments came against the Sacramento Kings, when he hit a game-winning three-pointer in double overtime.
Williams is easily one of the best scoring point guards the Mavs have had in quite some time. Even though he’s past his prime, he’s capable of doing a little bit of everything, like driving the lane, hitting mid-range jumpers and nailing three-point shots.
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He can be shaky on the defensive end, but he is the perfect fit for Nowitzki, as the duo likes to play the two-man game quite often.
Williams’ deal is great for the Mavs.
They’ll have him for one more season and then he’ll be off the books so they’ll have money to spend when the free agent point guard class is loaded with names like Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Kyle Lowry (player option), Derrick Rose and Jeff Teague in 2017.
Besides, with point guards like Jeremy Lin ($12 million a year) and Austin Rivers ($11.6 million a year) earning the money that they did, Williams’ $10 million a year looks like a steal.
The 2016-17 season will mark the first season that the Mavs have a returning starting point guard since Jason Kidd was on the team from 2008-12.
It remains to be seen as to whether the Mavs will re-sign players like Raymond Felton or David Lee, but they made a couple of solid moves by keeping two players on their roster and bringing some chemistry back to the locker room.