Dallas Mavericks: Summer Is The Perfect Opportunity To Get A Center

The Dallas Mavericks have been in the market for a center for quite some time now. This summer provides the perfect opportunity to sign a game-changer.

The Dallas Mavericks are always in the market for superstar players. In the past four summers, they’ve made many attempts to lure prized free agents to the great state of Texas, but have been unsuccessful every time.

However, they have been able to rebound by signing second-tier players and putting together quality teams. Even with that, there has been an obvious hole in the team ever since winning the championship in 2011.

Guards like O.J. Mayo, Monta Ellis and Wesley Matthews have provided guard support while Chandler Parsons was the Mavs’ biggest free agent pickup in recent summers, but when it comes to the center position, the narrative changes.

Brendan Haywood, Chris Kaman and Samuel Dalembert were not reliable centers night in and night out. Even when the Mavs were able to bring Tyson Chandler back to the team, they lost him in another disrespectful summer divorce.

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Take a look at the current Mavs team. Deron Williams, Wesley Matthews, Chandler Parsons and Dirk Nowitzki make up a great starting lineup in terms of guards and forwards, but Zaza Pachulia is the one player that seems replaceable.

There’s no denying Pachulia’s success throughout the 2015-16 season so far. His averages of 9.8 PPG and 10.5 RPG have led to 24 double-doubles and his hard-nosed play has given the Mavs an edge in the paint and at the basket.

Even with a center that is actually a benefit to the team’s success, it’s clear that the Mavs could use an upgrade, and they are going to have a chance to do just that with an incredible group of centers set to hit the market in July.

Restricted Free Agents and Player Options

The first option, and certainly a pipe dream, is Andre Drummond, who has exploded into arguably the NBA’s best center this season. The only issue is that he is going to be a restricted free agent and there’s no way the Detroit Pistons are going to offer anything less than the max.

The other option here is Dwight Howard, who is expected to opt out of his player option this summer. The Mavs originally missed out on Deron Williams and ended up signing him a few years later, so why can’t the same thing happen with Dwight Howard? He still averages a double-double and, besides some behavior issues, is capable of being dominant.

Unrestricted Free Agents

As for unrestricted free agents, the Mavs will have four great chances at sealing up a new starting center.

One of the upcoming centers in the league is Hassan Whiteside of the Miami Heat. After busting onto the scene in 2014-15 in an attempt to get his 2K rating up, Whiteside has been a dominant presence in 2015-16. Not only does his length allow him to score easily, but he is also one of the best defensive big men in the league with his ability to block shots. Like Howard, he has had some maturity issues in the past, but his talent makes up for it.

Al Horford is the player equivalent of the San Antonio Spurs, meaning that even though he’s not flashy, he’s still really good. After nearly being traded at the deadline, the Atlanta Hawks held on to Horford in hopes that they will be able to re-sign him this summer. He would be a perfect fit alongside Dirk Nowitzki in the frontcourt.

Another under-the-radar center that will be on the market is Al Jefferson. His numbers have been decreasing in the past two seasons, but he is still a top-10 center in the league and could be revived on a team flourishing with playmakers.

The last option, and arguably the most likely one, is Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls. It has seemed like his time in the Windy City has been winding down for the past couple of seasons. His shoulder surgery this season has kept him out since Jan. 15 and he could be recovering well into the summer, meaning some teams might not offer him a deal until they run out of other options. Overall, Noah’s tenacity around the rim and rebounding ability would fit in well in Dallas.

Though any of these centers would be great for the Mavs, a question comes to mind: Why not just keep Zaza Pachulia instead of risking more heartbreak on the market?

The reason why it would be best to move on from Pachulia is because he will also be an unrestricted free agent come July, and with his increased level of play, he might receive some offers that the Mavs might not be willing to make.

Another free agency thought would be going after Kevin Durant (something the Mavs will most likely do) instead of a big man, but they already have Chandler Parsons and they could have their hands full with him should he opt out of his player option this summer.

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The best move for the franchise would be to focus on retaining its future and securing more talent once Dirk Nowitzki retires. There hasn’t been a better center class in quite some time and, even with past failures, it’s a given that at least one of the centers mentioned above would be willing to make the move to Dallas should they initiate interest.