After making a splashy trade for superstar Kyrie Irving, it appears the Dallas Mavericks aren’t done trying to improve their roster. This comes as the Irving era has gotten off to a promising start, and the Mavericks look to build on that start by potentially signing a former teammate of his.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Mavericks are planning on working out former seven-time all-star LaMarcus Aldridge.
Aldridge, 37, has been preparing to play in his 17th NBA season. A Dallas native, Aldridge has averaged 19 points and eight rebounds in his career.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 14, 2023
Aldridge hasn’t played since last season, mainly due to his age, but could potentially still help the Mavericks as they make their playoff push.
Can Aldridge make an impact on the Mavericks?
The Mavericks already have several big men, including Dwight Powell, JaVale McGee, Christian Wood, and Maxi Kleber, so adding LaMarcus Aldridge may not make much sense. Then again, Mcgee and Powell aren’t outside shooters, and Kleber has only played 22 games thus far. Meanwhile, Aldridge was one of the best pick-and-pop big men in NBA history, and he even started to expand his range beyond the arc in his last two seasons.
He shot 38.8% from three in 2020–21 as a member of the San Antonio Spurs and Nets, though just 30.8% last season in Brooklyn. Even then, he was an effective offensive player, averaging nearly 13 points per game on a blistering 60.4% true shooting. At 37 and a half, he probably doesn’t have much left in the tank, but assuming that he can still shoot, it makes sense to kick the tires on him.
The Mavericks have an open roster spot remaining and could afford to sign him to a 10-day contract or two and see how he plays. The best-case scenario is that he can provide them with a floor-spacing big who can knock down open shots that Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving create for him. The worst-case scenario is that he’s washed up and can’t contribute any longer, but even then, the Mavericks could simply release him and sign another player to fill their final roster spot.
Overall, while the Mavs are only working Aldridge out, he could theoretically help the team. If he’s still good enough to earn a 10-day contract, he could prove to be a low-risk, medium-reward player for Dallas as they gear up for the playoffs.