Dallas Mavericks: Serious Dilemma Looms With Brandan Wright
In the midst of the Dallas Mavericks’ demolishing of the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night, two things clicked in my head while the lead continued to grow.
1) Brandan Wright leads the NBA in field goal percentage.
2) He’s going to be a free agent next summer.
The Mavericks are presented with a very scary dilemma.
It isn’t like Wright being an efficient big man isn’t a surprise. He has been his entire time in Dallas. He just hasn’t lived up to being that lottery pick from 2007. But every time he comes off the bench for the Mavericks, he plays like one of the best big men in the league.
In only 18 minutes of action, Wright is averaging 9.3 points per game and is shooting 74.5 percent. That shooting percentage is insane. The bulk of it is coming on shots close to the rim, but Wright is quietly becoming an effective mid-range player with a variety of post moves.
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But, as the Mavericks like to do, we have to think about the future. It would be considered a must for Dallas to keep Wright. He’s been the Mavericks’ X-Factor plenty of nights.
It raises the question, though, and it’s a very important one: How much is Wright worth?
Two years ago, Wright signed a two-year deal worth $5 million per year. That contract comes off the books in the summer, and the overall consensus is that Wright is going to get more than $5 million on this next deal.
I started throwing numbers around like $8 million or even $10 million per year. Wright is that kind of player. He’s proven he’s worth more. The dilemma Dallas faces is some team fathoming paying more than $8 million – $10 million to Wright, which could possibly happen.
Plenty of teams would beg to have a player like Wright in their front court. He’s long, athletic, can block shots and can finish around the rim. Plenty of teams would also love to insert him in the starting lineup.
Does Wright leave a situation like Dallas for more money and a bigger role? It’s a high possibility. Wright revitalized his career when he signed in Dallas. In a weird way, it sounds like what happened to Tyson Chandler. Broken down and given up on, Chandler came to Dallas and won a title.
The next year, he gets a max contract and becomes the Defensive Player of the Year with the New York Knicks.
I’m not saying Wright will leave Dallas and instantly become the next best defensive player in the league, but the idea of him leaving Dallas for a better role isn’t so farfetched.
Dallas will more than likely right the wrong of 2011 by re-signing Chandler to a multi-year deal. Dallas will also be in play for the likes of LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol and (maybe) Kevin Love. Does Wright play the patient game like he did in 2013?
He didn’t want to play anywhere else, which is why he waited for the likes of Monta Ellis and Jose Calderon to sign last year.
Loyalty isn’t an issue facing Wright. He’s remained loyal. It’s a matter of what do the Mavericks see in Wright, other than just a superb backup to Dirk Nowitzki or Tyson Chandler.
We’ll find out this summer, where Dallas will have an interesting decision to make.