Dallas Mavericks: Getting A Center Top Priority This Summer

With valuable big men hitting the market, it will be crucial for the Dallas Mavericks to lock up a center this summer.

The Dallas Mavericks have been defined by their free agency failures in the past few offseasons. It’s been the same story since winning the championship in 2011. Miss out on a superstar free agent and hand out one-year deals to roster-fillers and veterans before watching most slip away after the season is over.

Even with the failures, it hasn’t been all bad, as the Mavs have picked up key players like Chandler Parsons and Wesley Matthews, who seem comfortable in Dallas and act as if they would like to stay for a while.

However, they still lack a piece of the team that every franchise needs: a dynamic big man. It’s something that is absolutely necessary for a contending team to have.

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Think about teams that have made the conference finals this season. The Golden State Warriors have Draymond Green. The Cleveland Cavaliers have Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson. The Oklahoma City Thunder have Serge Ibaka.

You can make the case that the Mavs still have Dirk Nowitzki, but he’s most likely two years away from retirement and is certainly not as athletic as he used to be.

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That’s why this summer is the time for the Mavs to lock up a center. Though most of the players mentioned above aren’t centers, they all have the ability of operating as one, plus the current Mavs team–one that is built around an aging superstar–is better when they have a center to pair with Nowitzki.

Take 2011 and 2015 for instance. Tyson Chandler was a big reason why the Mavs were able to win at least 50 games in each of those seasons. This summer, the Mavs will have their best opportunity at signing a center that can bring them back to their winning ways, as four great big men are set to hit the market as unrestricted free agents:

1. First, there’s Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks. Horford has played for the Hawks his entire career, which began in 2007-08, and he’s been a double-digit scorer every season. At 29 years of age, he’s right in the middle of his prime and displays his skills with big nights, like on Feb. 22, when he dropped 23 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, five blocks and three steals on the Warriors.

2. Next is Hassan Whiteside of the Miami Heat. Whiteside came onto the scene in 2010, when he played 19 games with the Sacramento Kings. After two years away from the NBA, he came back for the 2014-15 season and averaged a double-double for the Heat. This season, he has transformed into one of the NBA’s most intriguing centers, averaging 14.2 points per game, 11.8 rebounds per game and 3.7 blocks per game.

3. Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls dislocated his shoulder against the Mavs in mid-January, which kept him out for the rest of the season. The Bulls had already significantly lowered his minutes from 2014-15 and his numbers were taking a hit as he was forced to come off of the bench. Many believe he has already played his last game with the team and he would have the chance to revive his career in Dallas.

4. Al Jefferson of the Charlotte Hornets would certainly not be a franchise-altering center, but he would be the best center the team has had since Chandler. His numbers have gone down each season with the Hornets, but he’s still a dominant individual in the paint.

You also have to think about Dwight Howard, who will most likely opt out of his contract to become a free agent; and Andre Drummond, who will be a restricted free agent.

Either of these options, with an emphasis on Horford and Whiteside, would give the Mavs the stability that they need to become relevant in the Western Conference again, but they won’t have the opportunity to spend their cash if they go chasing after other players on the market.

For the Mavs, it’s time to ditch the popular picks, like Kevin Durant, and chase after players that they have a chance of acquiring. It’s time for them to recognize that perhaps the most important part of their future after Dirk Nowitzki rests at the center position.

It’s not every offseason that you see a center class like the one above. Look ahead to 2017. The top unrestricted free agent centers are Rudy Gobert (likely to be extended before he hits the market) and Andrew Bogut.

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A solid center has almost become a rarity in the NBA today and it’s time for the Mavs to get their guy before the Nowitzki era ends. This summer could be a big step towards creating a contender and an attractive destination without an all-time great.