The Dallas Mavericks had another decent season in 2020-21. They finished fifth in the competitive Western Conference which set them up for a second straight playoff matchup with the LA Clippers.
The Mavericks would go on to lose this series 3-4 in what could only be described as a weird scenario. They won the first two on the Clippers’ home floor, then lost the next two on their own home floor. The only team that could win at home was the Clippers who won Game 7 to move to the next round.
The Mavericks rode the back of their superstar Luka Doncic who came close to averaging a triple-double for the season. He averaged 27.7 points, 8.6 assists, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 34.3 minutes per game. He had good support play from both Tim Hardaway Jr. and Kristaps Porzingis when the latter was healthy.
The Dallas Mavericks had another first-round exit from the playoffs at the hands of the LA Clippers. Here are five offseason roster moves they need to make.
The offseason in the NBA has always produced its fair share of rumors. This player or that coach is unhappy with a situation. This offseason had produced both for the Mavericks. The team’s second star Porzingis has made it known how unhappy he is. He went from over 15 shots attempts per game in the regular season to just over 10 in the playoffs.
On top of that, head coach Rick Carlisle resigned. The 2011 NBA championship-winning coach left after 13 seasons in charge. If he had retired then nothing more would have been said but he took the Indiana Pacers job which suggests potential issues within the franchise.
With all that in mind, let’s take a look at the five roster moves the Dallas Mavericks need to make this offseason
Dallas Mavericks offseason move No. 1: Guarantee Jalen Brunson
Jalen Brunson has spent the first three years of his career with the Dallas Mavericks. He has been forging his career as the backup point guard behind Doncic, who has one of the highest usage rates of any player in the league.
Brunson has been massive for the Mavericks every time that he hits the court. For his career, he is averaging 10.1 points, 3.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.5 steals in 21.8 minutes per game. He has shot the ball well, going 48.9 percent, from the floor, 37.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 77.5 percent from the line.
Last season though, Brunson performed so well for the Mavericks. He increased his numbers in all the major statistical categories, averaging 12.6 points, 3.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds, and 0.5 steals in 25.0 minutes per game. He went 52.3 percent from the floor and 40.5 percent from beyond the arc.
The Mavericks have a few roster decisions to make which could cost them a fair amount of money. Brunson is only due $1.8 million next season which is an incredible value. If the Mavericks can continue to get this level of production out of Brunson at this value then they will have the opportunity to tweak their roster to make it out of the first round.
Dallas Mavericks offseason move No. 2: Re-sign Boban Marjanovic
After spending the last two seasons with the Mavericks, Boban Marjanovic appears to feel right at home. His numbers are not amazing, averaging 5.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in the 77 games that he has played during this time.
He plays behind Dwight Powell, Willie Cauley-Stein, Porzingis and even Maxi Kleber. This means that he comes on the court when the Mavericks want to change up the way that they are playing. Marjanovic presents problems for the opposition due to his sheer size.
He stands 7’4″ and weighs in at 290 pounds. He is more of a traditional center in that he is not a good shooter from the perimeter. He does, however, create more second-chance opportunities, collecting 1.5 offensive rebounds in just 9.0 minutes per game over the two seasons.
If the Mavericks can sign Marjanovic to a minimum salary deal he will continue to create mismatches which will give their opposition difficulties at times. If the Mavericks are able to keep Porzingis then they can use both player’s heights to cause problems for the opposition. Marjanovic is not going to be a key rotation piece, but with the rest of the quality, he does not have to be.
Dallas Mavericks offseason move No. 3: Re-sign Tim Hardaway
The Mavericks acquired Hardaway in the Porzingis deal and have been rewarded by his play ever since. He has averaged 16.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in his two and a half seasons with the franchise.
Hardaway lost his starting spot to Josh Richardson throughout the year but his play made it impossible to keep him out of the starting lineup towards the end of the season. Hardaway then started every playoff game for the Mavericks.
While there have been thoughts that the Mavericks need to find a third player to make a big three, the alternate school of thought is that Doncic is too ball-dominant to make that work. Hardaway has the type of game that compliments Doncic’s which is going to be crucial moving forward.
Hardaway’s last contract was a monster. He was paid $71 million over four years which is massive money for someone who was a role player when this deal was signed. The New York Knicks signed him to an offer sheet the Atlanta Hawks chose not to match.
However, if the Mavericks can sign Hardaway to a more team-friendly deal they can try to add more quality pieces to surround Doncic. This will help them get out of the first round next season.
Dallas Mavericks offseason move No. 4: Trade Kristaps Porzingis
As mentioned earlier, Porzingis expressed his displeasure at how he was used in the postseason. It appears that he was frustrated with the way that Doncic tried to do it all by himself, not involving his teammate. Given that Porzingis had five and a half fewer shots per game in the playoffs, there could be fire under that smoke.
Another problem for the Mavericks is that Porzingis is currently their highest player. He is due $31.6 million next season, $33.8 million in 2022-23, and has a player option worth $36.0 million in the 2023-24 season. This is a huge amount of the cap taken up by a player unhappy with their role.
However, the biggest problem for the Mavericks is that Pozingis’ 7’3″ 240-pound frame is struggling to stand up to the rigors of an NBA season. He has missed 152 of a possible 482 games so far in his six-year career. This means he has been sidelined for more than 31 percent of his career.
The Mavericks’ best option for trading Porzingis is to send him to a team like the OKC Thunder, Houston Rockets, or Orlando Magic who are looking to rebuild. This means they can afford to take on Porzingis’ salary, even if he misses significant time. As they would be looking to get something back, a third team may need to be involved.
Dallas Mavericks move No. 5: Extend Luka Doncic
The Mavericks have hitched their wagon to the Doncic train and that seems to be a very wise decision. In just three years in the league, the 21-year-old has blossomed into a star of the sport. Doncic is a 6’7″ point guard who creates matchup nightmares in every game that he plays.
Doncic is already a two-time All-Star and has made the All-NBA team twice as well. He was also the Rookie of the Year in his first season. This is a tidy list of accomplishments to accrue in your first three years in the league, most of which were before your 21st birthday.
His averages have also been out of this world. For his three-year career, Doncic has averaged 25.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. These are scary numbers considering that he is going to get better as he gains more experience. He has already shown that he is a true clutch player as well with some of the shots he takes for the team at the end of games.
The Mavericks are going to throw every dollar they can at Doncic to ensure that he plays for them for as long as possible. While his play appears to have put some teammates offside, he is a talent the Mavericks are surrounding with the right players. Hopefully, this will lead them to another championship.