Nov 6, 2021; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) and guard Jalen Brunson (13) celebrate during the second quarter against the Boston Celtics at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
5 important offseason goals for the Dallas Mavericks
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – MAY 15: Jae Crowder #99 of the Phoenix Suns loses the ball as he drives to the basket against Davis Bertans #44 and Dwight Powell #7 of the Dallas Mavericks in Game Seven of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals at Footprint Center on May 15, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
5 important offseason goals for the Dallas Mavericks: 5. Try moving a veteran
If the Mavericks don’t want to return a nearly identical roster next season, the team is going to have to work the trade market. Considering the cap situation, there aren’t any other viable ways for the team to add to its personnel in the offseason.
Some of the contracts Dallas may want to move include those of Davis Bertans ($16 million) or Dwight Powell ($11 million). While that would be nice, the reason the Mavs would want to move them is the same reason they would likely struggle to find takers – those players aren’t worth those salaries.
In order to move off of them, the Mavs may need to attach compensation, like future draft picks. Considering Dallas aims to be picking near the end of the first round in the upcoming years, those picks may not be enticing enough to move the needle.
Dallas’ pick this year is slotted 26th in the draft order. Perhaps a team falls in love with a prospect near the back of the first round and decides to take the hit of bringing in Powell to draft them, but if not, Dallas needs to prepare contingencies.
The Mavs have a number of players set to earn more than $10 million next year, but Powell is the only one on an expiring contract. The other players who are on expiring contracts are Maxi Kleber (non-guaranteed), Boban Marjanovic, Trey Burke (if he exercises his player option), Sterling Brown, Marquese Chriss, and Frank Ntilikina (also non-guaranteed).
Throwing in some of those expired contracts may be enough to get a deal done and allow the Mavericks to infuse some talent into the roster, either via trade or free agency.
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Golden State</a> Warriors. Kevon Looney became a household name during the series, easily beating the Mavs out for rebounds and setting up big plays for his teammates on the offensive end.</p>
<p>Because of the cap situation, going for a star center to solve the problem seems unlikely. There’s a world where Rudy Gobert fits with the international vibes Dallas is always doling out and the Utah Jazz center could be available. But his four-year, $170 million contract is untenable.</p>
<p>There are other trade candidates around, such as <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/07/offseason-goals-dallas-mavericks/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/indiana-pacers/">Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner. The Pacers will likely look to command more than the Mavs can give up for the magnificent shot swatter, though.</p>
<p>A cheaper trade option would be a player who hasn’t really hit but remains young, like <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/07/offseason-goals-dallas-mavericks/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/orlando-magic/">Orlando Magic center Mo Bamba. The Magic would probably want some major draft capital in return, however, as they continue their rebuild.</p>
<p>The team could also try to find an inexpensive veteran on the open market if they can clear up the space. One name worth keeping an eye on is <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/07/offseason-goals-dallas-mavericks/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/phoenix-suns/">Phoenix Suns center JaVale McGee.</p>
<p>Bringing in a big man to make sure the team can’t be embarrassed in the paint next postseason is a key to the Mavericks’ offseason.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/07/offseason-goals-dallas-mavericks/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Goal #3 </a>
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New Orleans</a> Pelicans’ draft from last year seems instructive at this moment. With the 35th pick, the Pelicans selected forward Herbert Jones out of Alabama. Perhaps he slipped all the way into the 30s because he turned 23 years old before his rookie season even started.</p>
<p>However, Jones eventually emerged as a full-time starter, averaging a whopping 1.7 steals per game, and making the All-Rookie Second Team.</p>
<p>There will be no shortage of options for the Mavericks if they want to draft a player with a little more tread on the tires at the back end of the first round. There should be plenty of options at either forward position, in particular.</p>
<p>Former Ohio State forward E.J. Liddell should be one possibility. He doesn’t have the same upside as Buckeyes teammate Malaki Branham, but he was a consistently productive player for a decent program and should be able to pop out to the perimeter for the occasional three-pointer at the NBA level.</p>
<p>Another possibility is former Kansas shooting guard Christian Braun. He doesn’t project to do anything at an elite level in the NBA, but he can provide consistency and effort on any bench. He’s also a proven winner, taking home the NCAA championship last season.</p>
<p>To make the most of Doncic as he enters his peak years, the Mavericks need to surround him without players ready to compete at the highest level. That should be taken into consideration during the NBA Draft.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/07/offseason-goals-dallas-mavericks/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Goal #2 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MARCH 31: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks defends Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on March 31, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Mavericks defeat the Celtics 113-108. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>5 important offseason goals for the Dallas Mavericks: 2. Find a defensive guru for Luka Doncic</h2>
<p>For all Doncic provides on the offensive end – and he’s one of the best in the NBA on that side of the court – his defense remains an area of development. For him and the Mavs to take the next step, improvement on that end will be necessary.</p>
<p>The advanced stats suggest last year was Doncic’s best for defense in four seasons. His 3.8 defensive win shares and 1.8 defensive box plus/minus were both the best of his career. He actually ranked in the top 20 in the league in both of those statistics, along with defensive rating.</p>
<p>Doncic also averaged career highs in steals and blocks per game. He’s definitely not as big of a liability as he used to be on defense.</p>
<p>Still, there are times when Doncic got cooked during the postseason. That’s bound to happen with the increased playing time and exhaustion that comes in the playoffs, but it still creates an opportunity for opposing teams to capitalize.</p>
<p>His issues were particularly glaring in the series against the Phoenix Suns. In the second half of Game 2, the Suns made it a credo to attack Doncic on nearly every play, particularly targeting him on ball screens, spurring a 22-point advantage in the half and a 20-point win, 129-109.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, Doncic is aware that his defense needs to improve.</p>
<p>“I think defense has got to be way better for me,” Doncic said after Dallas’ elimination (H/T <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/07/offseason-goals-dallas-mavericks/2/"https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33991255/as-playoff-run-ends-luka-doncic-says-improving-defense-take-dallas-mavericks-next-level" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN</a>). “Honestly, I think I made a huge step this year defensively, but there’s so much room for improvement.”</p>
<p>There have been concerns about Doncic’s fitness level and how that affects him on the defensive end, but that seemed like less of a problem as the regular season went along.</p>
<p>If Doncic is stronger and more fit on the defensive end, the ceiling for Dallas increases exponentially. That should be an offseason priority for both the star and his team.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/07/offseason-goals-dallas-mavericks/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 1 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">HOUSTON, TEXAS – JANUARY 07: Jalen Brunson #13 of the Dallas Mavericks controls the ball during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on January 07, 2022 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>5 important offseason goals for the Dallas Mavericks: 1. Retain Jalen Brunson, if possible</h2>
<p>It’s not going to be easy. Jalen Brunson’s play in the postseason made re-signing him even more difficult. But the Mavs must do what they can to keep the guard around.</p>
<p>Brunson is coming off the best season of his career. The Villanova alum averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, all while shooting 50.2% from the floor. He emerged as a clear second option after Tim Hardaway Jr. went down.</p>
<p>He took his game to another level in the playoffs. Brunson averaged 21.6 points per game in the postseason, clearly ready to take on the mantle of a bonafide sidekick for an NBA franchise.</p>
<p>The performance was great for the Mavs in the short-term, as it helped take them to the Western Conference Finals. In the long-term, it’s a problem.</p>
<p>Brunson could probably pull between $20 million and $25 million on an annual contract in free agency. There’s likely some mutual interest in keeping him around in Dallas, but this is likely to be Brunson’s best shot at a big contract, so there’s not much incentive for him to take a discount.</p>
<p>There probably won’t be many teams Brunson could join at his anticipated salary level where he could come closer to contending a title. But there are other teams he could join and expect either more money than what Dallas wants to pay or a bigger role, such as the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/06/07/offseason-goals-dallas-mavericks/2/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/new-york-knicks/">New York</a> Knicks. The Mavs would likely want to go the sign-and-trade route if Brunson is bailing.</p>
<p>Without many direct avenues for improvement this offseason, keeping Jalen Brunson should be the number one goal for the Dallas Mavericks.</p>
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