The Dallas Mavericks have never gone further with Luka Doncic than they did this season. It was a great year for the franchise, but the team fell short of making it back to the NBA Finals to compete for a title.
Still, it’s clear the Mavs are headed in the right direction. Any (silly) questions about whether or not the team could contend with Doncic as its axis point can now be laid to rest and the focus can be on building with him.
While Dallas has their superstar in place, the rest of the roster is riddled with questions. The team is going to need to make some hard decisions and critical upgrades to make this year’s playoff run the start of something more.
What do the Dallas Mavericks need to do this offseason to build on the team’s run to the Western Conference Finals?
Making those improvements will be a challenge. The Mavericks are already projected to be over the salary cap and the luxury tax threshold entering the offseason. The team has more than $150 million in payroll on the books.
Dallas doesn’t have many players who will become free agents this summer. Theo Pinson and Trey Burke make up a majority of the list. The most critical one, however, is Jalen Bruson. At times, the guard looked like the second-best player on the Mavericks this season.
What should be the goals for the Mavericks entering this critical period? Here are five of them for Mark Cuban and his squad to consider.