Dallas Mavericks: Why the Mavs Need to Go All-Out for Dwight Howard

The Dallas Mavericks accomplished two things they had never done as a franchise in 2011; they won an NBA championship for the first time and found a true center that was a difference maker. There is no doubt that the Mavericks would not have gone on their historical run in 2011 without the leadership, defense and intangibles that Tyson Chandler brought to Dallas.

Tyson Chandler’s contract was expiring in 2011, but to most Mavericks fans it was a foregone conclusion that Chandler would return in 2012. In previous years Dallas had paid millions in long-term contracts to Raef Lafrentz, Shawn Bradley, Erick Dampier, DeSagana Diop and Brendan Haywood in their attempts to find a true center.

Tyson Chandler loved Dallas and the feeling was mutual; it was just a matter of time before it all became official … or was it? The new collective bargaining agreement drastically increased the luxury-tax threshold and owner Mark Cuban suddenly became fiscally cautious. The lockout that occurred in 2011 also decreased the amount of time that teams had to negotiate with free agents. The New York Knicks pounced on this opportunity and signed Chandler to a four-year contract worth $58 million.

The Mavericks suddenly found themselves in the same spot they had been in for so many seasons with the center position being a liability. With veterans Jason Kidd and Jason Terry on the last year of their contracts, the Mavericks decided to look to the future and were unwilling to pursue any free agents that sought long-term deals. Dallas sold their fans on the promise of upcoming free agents they would have the ability to pursue with ample cap room.

The term “powder dry” was coined to describe the Mavericks strategy approaching the 2012 offseason. Unfortunately for the Mavericks, the powder stayed dry, very dry. The Mavericks top priority in free agency was point guard Deron Williams, who chose to stay with the Brooklyn Nets. Mark Cuban and general manager Donnie Nelson were clearly disappointed that Deron Williams, a Dallas native, chose to stay in Brooklyn rather than return home to Dallas.

There were no other unrestricted free agents that Dallas was willing to commit to long-term. The Mavericks chose to keep their “powder dry” once again. With an eye on the 2013 offseason, the Mavericks signed center Chris Kaman, forward Elton Brand and shooting guard O.J. Mayo to one-year deals. The Mavericks also traded center Ian Mahinmi to the Indiana Pacers for point guard Darren Collison, who had only one year remaining on his contract.

The Mavericks did a solid job assembling a roster that was expected to compete for a playoff berth in the Western Conference. The Mavericks would have likely found themselves in the playoffs had it not been for the two-month absence of Dirk Nowtizki due to a right knee injury that required surgery prior to the start of the season.

The Mavericks will once again approach the offseason with their sights set on landing a superstar. The gaping hole at the center position remains and the best center in the NBA, Dwight Howard, is an unrestricted free agent.

The Mavericks should do everything they can to lure Howard to Dallas. The Lakers were an surprising disappointment in 2012-13 and Howard has stated that he plans to explore his options in free agency. While the Lakers may have the ability to offer Howard an extra year on his contract, the money that Dallas can offer is not that far off due to the fact that there is no state income tax in Texas.

Dwight Howard’s indecision regarding his desire to stay or leave the Orlando Magic compromised his reputation in 2011-12. After requesting a trade, Howard surprised everyone and chose to waive his one-year early termination option, thereby extending the drama that had surrounded Howard for some time. Howard changed his mind only a few days later and was also reportedly behind the Magic’s firing of head coach Stan Van Gundy.

Dwight Howard was the best player on a Magic team that was consistently a contender in the Eastern conference during his eight seasons in Orlando. (Photo Credit/Flickr.com/Keith Allison)

The situation became known as a “Dwightmare,” with rumors and speculation dominating NBA headlines for months. Howard was eventually traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team deal that allowed Orlando to begin the rebuilding process.

Howard was expected to miss the first part of the season as he recovered from offseason back surgery and deserves credit for playing through the injury while managing to focus on basketball in a tumultuous environment in Los Angeles. The Lakers fired head coach Mike Brown after a 1-4 start and brought in former Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni. The Lakers climbed backed into playoff contention and made the playoffs despite Kobe Bryant tearing his Achilles tendon late in the season.

Despite the fact that Howard was still recovering from offseason back surgery while playing through a torn shoulder labrum he averaged 17.1 points to go with 12.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. Howard improved as the season continued and should start the 2013-14 campaign healthier than he has been the last two years.

The benefits to adding a player of Howard’s caliber are clear-cut. Howard is one of the best rebounders and shot blockers in the NBA. Howard’s presence allows his teammates to play more aggressively on defense knowing they have such an intimidating presence behind them protecting the basket. The Mavericks should be aware of this as Chandler added this dimension only a few seasons ago.

Howard’s presence down low on the offensive end also creates fantastic shooting opportunities for his teammates. There are very few defenders with the ability to contain Howard one-on-one in the paint. Once a team commits a second defender to Howard, he has the ability to swing the ball out to the open shooter. The Magic lead the NBA in 3-pointers made during the 2009-10 and 2011-12 seasons due to the high number of quality looks that Howard creates for perimeter players. To further highlight his impact, Orlando fell all the way to 26th in 3-pointers made during their first season without Howard in 2012-13.

Whatever team is fortunate enough to sign Howard will likely experience a domino effect as it pertains to other available free agents. Free agency really does not begin until the top players are signed. Talented second and third-tier free agents will typically wait to see where the impact players go before deciding on their next destination. If two teams are offering a similar contract and one team has just landed Dwight Howard while the other team is picking up the pieces, it makes the decision very easy for a player that is deciding between two or three teams.

The Mavericks cannot afford to sign another group of stop-gap players while selling the potential of upcoming free agents to their fans for another season. Dirk Nowitzki likely only has one or two years left in his prime and the time for the Mavericks to strike is now. Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson are aware of this and will do everything in their power this offseason to build a team that can contend.

Despite the fact that Dallas is in need of young talent they are publicly shopping the 13th overall pick in the upcoming draft to create additional salary cap flexibility. The Mavericks are reportedly not asking for much in return to move their first lottery pick in years. It is rare that a free agent of Howard’s caliber is on the market and Dallas would be wise to aggressively pursue Howard using every able tool and tactic that they have to once again join the rank of the NBA elite.