NBA Free Agency: Grading all 30 teams on trades and signings

NBA Free Agency Grades: Dallas Mavericks

Signings: JaVale McGee (3 years, $17.2 million); Theo Pinson (1 year, $1.97 million)

Trades: None (Christian Wood trade completed before the draft)

The story of the Dallas Mavericks in free agency isn’t about who they gained, although we will discuss that in a moment. It’s primarily about who they lost. Jalen Brunson, an indispensable part of their run to the Western Conference Finals last season, left the Mavericks to sign a lucrative contract with the New York Knicks.

Should the Mavs have paid up to keep Brunson? Was that even an option or was Brunson gone either way? It’s hard to say, but the Mavs have a major hole on their roster. Expecting rookie Jaden Hardy to fill that is unrealistic, but perhaps the expectation is more that a healthy Tim Hardaway Jr. can.

The Mavericks certainly didn’t add any other perimeter creators in free agency, instead handing a surprisingly large and quick contract to JaVale McGee, the onetime goofball of the league who has reinvented himself as a hard-playing role player. Early signs are that he will start ahead of Dwight Powell at center beside Christian Wood in a revamped, larger starting lineup. It seems like both an overpay and weird use of their limited funds. Theo Pinson is an energy teammate who is unlikely to have much of a rotational role.

Grade: C-