Dallas Mavericks: Re-Signing Raymond Felton Is A Must

The Dallas Mavericks will have many decisions to make this summer, but one obvious move should be re-signing veteran point guard Raymond Felton.

The Dallas Mavericks will have impact players like David Lee and Zaza Pachulia hitting the market this summer, but there’s perhaps no one more valuable than Raymond Felton.

Before the 2015-16 season began, Felton picked up his $3.9 million player option in a move that many thought would harm the team as he averaged just 3.7 points per game and 1.4 assists per game in 2014-15.

However, once the season began, Felton showed up in a big way. In the first game of the season against the Phoenix Suns, he played 33 minutes, scored 18 points and added in four rebounds and six assists.

It was definitely a new-look Felton and one that the NBA hadn’t seen since his days with the New York Knicks.

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Throughout the course of the season, Felton went on to have big nights, like Dec. 12, when he recorded a triple-double (10-11-11). He had four 20+ point games in the regular season on his way to averaging 9.5 points per game, 3.6 assists per game and 3.2 rebounds per game.

In the Mavs’ first round playoff matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Felton played like one of the best players in a Dallas uniform. He played 34.4 minutes a game, had two double-doubles and kept consistent numbers all-around (15.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 4.6 APG, 1.2 SPG).

Though that may have seemed like a hot streak for the 31-year-old, it was simply how Felton impacted the team all season long. Whenever he was playing, whether starting or coming off the bench, he provided energy and consistency that the entire team fed off of and changed his image with an improved year.

This July, Felton is set to hit the market as an unrestricted free agent. We know the Mavs have a habit of letting players go due to their persistent search of a superstar, but Felton is a player that they need to take notice of this summer.

Rick Carlisle was quick to give him praise for his performance in 2015-16 (via Mavs.com):

"“Ray Felton had a great year for us. You know, he’s a veteran, he’s a smart player and he’s a winner. You know, if you look at our whole team, he’s been one of our most productive guys, really, from the beginning of the year to now. … I mean, he’s a fearless competitor, and he’s earned the respect of the guys in our locker room.”"

I could make the case that he was the best player behind Dirk Nowitzki this season as he played solid games on both ends of the court while still continuing to add passion to his game. He’s already given love to the city and mentioned his desire to be back in Dallas next season (via SportsDay):

"“I’m pretty sure I put myself in a good situation, I will say that. But hopefully that situation is back here in Dallas next year and we can make that happen. I love Dallas. I love the city.”"

Felton went on to say that he plans on buying a house in Dallas this offseason.

Depending on what the market looks like, he could be in for a pretty nice payday. Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzlies is the only superstar point guard that will be available, and teams looking for a player to run the floor might be interested in paying an experienced player like Felton–especially since he’s coming off of a productive season.

If the Mavs are able to retain Felton, they would have a flexible player that can play as one of the best sixth men in the league while also starting and putting in solid outings. Either way, he’s capable of helping the team.

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The Mavs may let most of their free agents find new homes this offseason, but if nothing else, they need to make an effort to keep Raymond Felton in Dallas.