Experiencing their first losing season in close to two decades, the Dallas Mavericks only made a few moves this summer, but improved their long-term outlook through the draft. How does their offseason rank overall?
Having experienced a great amount of success for the majority of this century, the Dallas Mavericks found themselves in rather unfamiliar territory at season’s end last year.
After enduring many hardships, numerous roster changes and struggling to compete against the top teams in the Western Conference, the Mavericks fell behind the proverbial 8-ball early on last season and finished the year 33-49, good for 11th in the West.
Taking as big of a step back as they did last season, however, the Mavericks were dealt a solid consolation prize by getting the ninth overall pick in this year’s draft.
Considering the number of top level talents that were regularly projected to go into the top-10, the Mavericks were poised to come away with a potential franchise-changing prospect.
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That ended up coming to be as the Mavs picked arguably the player that possesses the highest variance of superstar-like qualities of any lottery selection in this class: point guard Dennis Smith Jr. out of North Carolina State University.
In addition to the selection of Smith, the Mavericks made quick work with bringing back Dirk Nowitzki for what will be a historic 20th season.
While they mostly stayed on the sidelines during free agency, this summer wasn’t without a little uncertainty and controversy for the Mavericks, as they went through a lengthy contract standoff with big man Nerlens Noel, which finally resolved in late August.
So without further ado, let’s break down each individual move and sum up the overall offseason for the Dallas Mavericks.
2017 NBA Draft
As mentioned before, the biggest addition Dallas made this offseason is the selection of Dennis Smith Jr. with the ninth overall pick in this year’s draft.
By getting Smith, the Mavericks have improved their long-term outlook immensely and if all goes right, he could stand as the next star talent for the team to build around in the years to come. During his one season in Raliegh, Smith showcased his impressive athletic and scoring talents, a feat made even more stunning since he was just over a year removed from tearing his ACL.
With that being said, there were nagging shortcomings littered throughout his play like his commitment on the defensive end and relying on getting his own opportunities rather than setting up his teammates (though the Wolfpack’s overall disastrous and dysfunctional season likely played a bigger impact on both of those points).
To put it plainly, though, the Mavericks haven’t had a player of Smith’s potential in a very long time and with Dirk Nowitzki clearly in the twilight of his career, the timing couldn’t have played out better as they prepare for a new era.
Although they only held one draft pick, the selection of Smith is certainly a big boon for the Mavericks and only time will tell if the star potential he clearly possesses will be fully realized in the years to come.
Grade: A-
Re-signing Dirk Nowitzki
In a move that shouldn’t surprise anyone, the Mavericks re-signed franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki to a two-year, $10 million deal a few days into free agency this summer (a team option is included on the second year).
At 39 years old, Nowitzki carries the type of limitations anyone would expect in a player who has played the game for this long at a very high level. Nowitzki’s 26.4 minutes per game last year rank as the lowest minute total of his career since his rookie season in 1998-99 and the same nearly goes for his 54 appearances as well, the exception being the 2012-13 season where the German native missed nearly the first two months due to injury.
While the latter was certainly exaggerated as the team’s playoff hopes faded the further we went into the season, it’s clear that some parameters are put in place to preserve Nowitzki over the course of a regular season at this point in his career.
Despite being at his advanced age, Nowitzki still can be depended on delivering the same things that have made him the player he has been for this long.
He’s still a lethal shooter, especially from deep, and though his scoring output isn’t the same as it once was under regular measures, he still packs a scoring punch in his more monitored role by per-36 minute standards (Nowitzki posted 19.4 points per-36 minutes last season).
Although Nowitzki’s mobility is far from what it once was, head coach Rick Carlisle has opted to use him as a stretch-5 from time to time, opening up the team’s spacing to even greater degrees.
All in all, there wasn’t a surer bet this offseason than Nowitzki re-upping with the Mavs for what will be the 20th season of his career. If Nowitzki can keep fighting off Father Time, who knows if this upcoming year will be his curtain call.
Grade: B+
Acquiring Josh McRoberts
A move solely done for salary purposes, the Mavericks gained another frontcourt addition in journeyman Josh McRoberts in a deal with the Miami Heat. By taking on McRoberts, the Mavericks also received a future second round pick and cash considerations.
Since his best all-around season back in 2013-14 with the then-Charlotte Bobcats, McRoberts’ career has taken a significant step backwards, mainly due to circumstances beyond his control as he’s only made 81 total appearances over the last three seasons.
Struggling to stay healthy, it was widely known that the Heat had been looking to deal the Duke product for some time and after three seasons in his stint in South Beach, they were able to do just that by sending McRoberts and his salary to the Mavericks earlier this summer.
Now, the big questions is whether Dallas could prove to be the spot where McRoberts can rehabilitate his place as a unique and serviceable big man — one that possesses solid playmaking skills and can stretch the floor.
If not, McRoberts’ salary, which is rated at just a hair over $6 million, will only be on the team’s books for this season. Though the other attachments aren’t very valuable assets, both the additional pick and the cash considerations are certainly a nice incentive to take on McRoberts’ deal.
Grade: C
The Nerlens Noel saga
Acquired on the day of the trade deadline last season, the Mavericks came away clear winners with the addition of Nerlens Noel. After a solid, if not flashy, first impression upon arriving to Dallas, all the Mavericks had to do was negotiate a new deal with Noel since he was set to enter restricted free agency in the summer.
However, all hope for a quick and swift negotiation was quickly dashed as it became clear that both sides were at odds over an agreement that suited both parties’ needs. While the threat of another team coming in and making a gargantuan offer sheet to Noel did exist, that never came to fruition as the money being thrown out to the players in the free agent market tightened up practically in real time.
Eventually, details surfaced over what was reportedly offered to Noel on the part of the Mavericks ($70 million over four years, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski) and likewise, what Noel was demanding from the Mavs (a max offer, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon).
Finally, in late August, Noel signed his qualifying offer of $4.2 million for just the upcoming season, mere days after he switched agents and signed with Rich Paul, the famous player agent.
As much of a risk as that it is for Noel, the Mavericks could possibly be setting themselves up for a more contentious standoff next summer with the Massachusetts native being an unrestricted free agent (a point that lured Paul into signing with Noel, as noted by ESPN’s Chris Haynes).
First things first, Noel will have to prove that not only he can stay relatively healthy for the regular season, but play at a level that fits with the price tag that he clearly is looking to get next offseason.
If he can achieve both to a certain degree, then this summer might serve as a mere bandaid to this whole situation. But above else, the ball is in Noel’s court to prove that he’s truly the high-priced player that he aspires to be.
Grade: B-
Overall
Although their offseason wasn’t very prolific by any means, the Mavericks certainly addressed their long-term prospects in the few moves they made. What it means for their chances next season, however, might not mean much in a Western Conference that stands stronger than it has in recent memory.
Teams with more immediate contributors and more continuity/chemistry in place than the Mavericks currently have assembled will have tough tasks solidifying their own respective places in the West with the level of competition raised significantly throughout the conference.
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On the other hand, doubting any team led by head coach Rick Carlisle is definitely foolish, considering the body of his work and the amount of wins he got out of the team last year under all the circumstances they went through.
Regardless of how the Mavericks fare next season, their future is undoubtedly brighter than it was this time just a year ago.
A lot of that is obviously due to the addition of Smith and rightfully so, but we shouldn’t overlook the midseason addition of Noel as well (though Dallas will have to prioritize keeping him next summer, so fingers crossed on that for now).
Between having a Rookie of the Year candidate who has the potential of becoming the next big thing and a living legend for the franchise and the NBA game itself, the Mavericks are certainly bridging the gap between two eras.
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Whether success will come between this transition period remains to be seen, but it’ll be a tall task by any stretch of the imagination.
Final Grade: B