Dallas Mavericks: 2016 Offseason Grades
Overall
The Dallas Mavericks’ offseason was really a mixed bag, and one whose merit will likely be judged primarily by the Harrison Barnes signing.
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On the one hand, they missed out on Mike Conley, Hassan Whiteside and Chandler Parsons in free agency, opting to overpay a player who might wind up being a bust and trade for a center with an extensive injury history as their Plan B.
On the other hand, the Mavs regrouped fairly well from missing out on all those star free agents, quickly nabbing two starters with championship experience before the dust from Durant’s free agency decision had settled.
Back to that first hand, the Mavs’ did little to raise their 2016-17 ceiling beyond that of another first round playoff appearance. But then back on the other hand, they guaranteed Dirk’s last few years will at least be competitive, while also slowly beginning the transition to the post-Nowitzki era with younger players like Powell, Barnes, Curry, Acy and Hammons.
They had to overpay a couple of pieces to get there, but the Mavericks did a decent job balancing their short-term desire to send Dirk out with a bang and their long-term need to start building for the future.
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How Barnes handles an expanded role will likely determine how well the Dallas Mavericks did this summer, and it may take years before we understand the full extent of it. But as much as they tried to balance its long-term and short-term outlook, this summer ultimately did very little to significantly raise the bar for either one.
Grade: B-