Dallas Mavericks: Who To Pursue And Who To Avoid
By Cole Mentzel
Point Guards
Unrestricted Free Agents (Mavs): Raymond Felton
Since the championship in 2011, the Mavs haven’t kept a starter for more than one year. They’ll be signing their starting point guard this summer and they’ll have the option of either hitting the market or bringing back Deron Williams, who has already said that he will opt out of his contract and become a free agent.
Though Williams missed 17 regular season games and two playoff games, his 14.1 points per game and 5.8 assists per game could be useful for a team looking for a veteran leader. If the bidding goes too high for the Mavs, they could have trouble finding a valuable replacement.
Donnie Nelson on Deron Williams: "We would love to figure out a way to continue the ride with him as well."
— Earl K. Sneed (@EarlKSneed) April 26, 2016
Mike Conley – Memphis Grizzlies: Pursue
This is one is pretty obvious. Conley will be one of the best players on the market this summer. His defense is something not often seen in point guards and he adds scoring (15.3 PPG), making him one of the best two-way players in the league. His playing style would fit perfectly with the Wesley Matthews/Nowitzki duo in Dallas. Conley is most likely destined for a max contract this summer.
Jeremy Lin – Charlotte Hornets: Pursue
Lin’s play off the bench was consistent (even if his hair wasn’t) for the Hornets this season as he played a big part in their 48-34 record. The Mavs were interested in adding him last summer when they thought they had DeAndre Jordan. A starting role would be a stretch, but if runs at Conley and Williams fail, this would be the best option available.
Ty Lawson – Indiana Pacers: Avoid
The Ty Lawson experience was simply a failure with the Houston Rockets. It didn’t go much better with the Indiana Pacers. Going into the season, the Lawson pickup looked like a steal for Houston but he’s proved to be a different player away from Denver … and not in a good way.
Brandon Jennings – Orlando Magic: Avoid
Jennings went to Orlando at the trade deadline. Since returning from an Achilles injury, he hasn’t looked the same and he only had double-digit scoring nights 13 times this season. He’s not a player the Mavs would want to spend money on.
Rajon Rondo – Sacramento Kings: Avoid
Should I go on?
Next: Depth Would Be Beneficial