The Mavericks remain focused on acquiring another All-Star caliber player to complement Luka Doncic after tacitly acknowledging by trading Kristaps Porzingis in February that he wasn’t the right fit, sources tell veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein. The Mavs won’t have salary cap space to sign a player of that caliber outright anytime soon, so if they’re going to try to acquire a star this summer, it will probably have to be via trade.
Dallas has been linked to Jazz big man Rudy Gobert, but Stein’s sources say the Mavs’ interest in the three-time Defensive Player of the Year has been overstated. As Stein explains, the team knows it needs to improve its rim protection and rebounding, but had success with a five-out approach this postseason and will likely pursue a more “cost-efficient” option at center.
According to Stein, Bulls guard Zach LaVine is a potential target that intrigues the Mavericks, who apparently like the idea of adding another wing slasher and scorer, particularly after seeing how effective Spencer Dinwiddie was this season alongside Doncic.
However, LaVine is a free agent this summer and it would be a challenge for the Mavs to sign-and-trade for him and re-sign Jalen Brunson, since team salary would be well beyond the projected tax apron — any club that acquires a player via sign-and-trade becomes hard-capped at the apron for the rest of that league year. If acquiring LaVine isn’t realistic, Dallas will likely pivot to other options on the wing, Stein says.
Here’s more on the Mavs, whose season ended on Thursday in Golden State:
- President of basketball operations Nico Harrison downplayed the need to bring in another All-Star caliber player. “There’s teams … that have a bunch of All-Stars, and they were sitting at home watching us play,” Harrison said during his end-of-season presser on Friday (Twitter link via Callie Caplan of The Dallas Morning News). “Yeah, you need to keep upgrading the roster, but I don’t think it’s just about getting a bunch of All-Stars. It’s about getting people that fit.”
- Harrison said that re-signing Jalen Brunson will be the Mavericks’ “top priority” this offseason (Twitter link via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype). “We want to re-sign him. He knows it,” Harrison said. “We want him back. He’ll be a big part of our future.” Mavs owner Mark Cuban also spoke about the team’s desire to retain Brunson, as we outlined earlier today.
- As Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News relays, Cuban admitted that he didn’t know what to expect entering the 2021/22 season after the team underwent front office and coaching changes. He was pleased to see the Mavs establish an identity over the course of the year. “Hard-playing. Physical. Multi-talented, able to complement Luka,” Cuban said in describing the type of player that fits that identity. “Knowing how to play with Luka. That probably is number one. But yeah, you saw how we played it. Guys like Reggie Bullock. Spencer, when he came, got it. Davis Bertans. (Dorian Finney-Smith). Dwight (Powell). Everybody. There’s nobody that you can name that that wasn’t just playing as hard as they possibly can and knew their role.”
- An Eastern Conference executive who spoke to Tim MacMahon of ESPN believes the Mavericks are “one player away” from being a legitimate title contender. According to MacMahon, that opinion is shared by other rival coaches, executives, and scouts he has spoken to about Dallas’ outlook. For his part, Doncic said after Thursday’s loss that he thinks the Mavs are “on a great, great path.”
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) and Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype have published their offseason previews for the Mavericks, while Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report and SI.com’s Chris Mannix and Howard Beck also took a closer look at the team’s roster situation going forward.
Big men are exceptionally hard to come by, especially when you don’t have salary cap room and have limited trade material.
Who should the Mavs offer for LaVine, Gobert or Ayton?
Mavs can defeat Knicks and Lakers offer but …..
I am not sure they need to spend a lot on a big. They like the 5 out look. They really only need a physical big for 20-25 minutes per game. I think someone like Richaun Holmes if perfect.
There will be a ton of competition for Holmes if he’s available. Don’t know what Mavs have that could be the best offer
Not enough
Mavs need Bam, but Looney is better than Bam.
Mitchell Robinson could work too. Pairing him with Luka would be great for both parties.
Powell, THJ, Bertans, Dinwiddie, Kleber. Any combination. Have a 1st round pick and a 10M trade exception.
Some shuffle is needed Imo but it’s going to be tough
I like Cuban but he’s never quite had a master plan under Luka. It will show it’s teeth now.
They have 2 avail 1 sts for trade ( 1 near 1 far ). Id put um both on the table to help the shuffle. Cuban really hasn’t left them many better options.
Imagine this team w Jarett Allen right now instead of THJr
Cuban is smart, instinctive and good on his feet, but he’s not a planner. Limited attention span as well (took him almost 8 years to notice that his GM and HC retired a few years earlier and just didn’t tell him). But, intentionally or not, Cuban’s hooked up with the right guy in his HC. Kidd is a man who plans everything, including his planning, some have said plotting. These two can be good for each other. Particularly if this Harrison guy can be a good go between.
It’s easy to scrutinize the Porzingis trade in hindsight (Lord knows I have), but at the time it was probably a worthy risk.
If Porzingis didn’t break down physically and progressed along the path he showed in NY (22-12 guy who protects the rim and acts as a stretch 5) then IDK … that could the best duo in the league right now given Luka’s development?
Unfortunately Porzingis became another 7 foot What If? which is something Cubes might want to keep in mind when looking for another potential star
Would absolutely be open to a Lavine/Brunson sign and trade if Chicago had any interest in obtaining Brunson.
Mavs best shot to improve is to sign and trade Brunson for a wing player and somehow fit a big like Nurkic on the roster as well. Don’t need to spend huge amounts of money on a center, but starting Powell every game won’t cut it at all.
I think Stein should get better sources, or start confirming what they tell him. If J. Kidd is focused on an All Star, as such, then he’s a completely changed man from the one that was with the Nets-Knicks-Nets again. Maybe years in HC’ing exile changed him. Doubt it. His thoughts on basketball were fully developed to say the least. I have no doubt he wants to add offensive firepower to the team. LaVine maybe (IDK), but not because he’s an All Star. Harrison appears of like mind based on his quoted statements. IMO, they need more scoring, and at least some of it from bigger people closer to the basket. Who cares if the guy made the All Star team.
Also, Dinwiddie’s main fame was keeping things going when Doncic was off-court, and he operated from the middle more than on the wing… a PG. I don’t see anyone meshing with Doncic that well, except to get put of his way & don’t complain about the shots he takes.
Agree on SD. Alongside Luka, he hit some big shots. Multiple PGs on the floor encourages Luka to play off the ball more. All good. But I didn’t see any special chemistry between the two.
The formula for Luka might be a progression of what they did this season, as opposed to the LeBron/KD super-team route.
Basically, get the defense as close to elite as possible and then bank on the fact that if Luka’s on the floor the offense will at least be above average.
Elite D + Above Avg O (or vice versa) usually will put you on the shortlist of title contenders. Dallas just needs a little more depth to truly hone the formula.
I like Mitchell Robinson or Holmes for the Mavs.
Mavs could of beat the warriors if they had a paint presence. Why not go after Mo Bama in free agency. Doesn’t sound like the magic will resign him and also go after myles turner. Carlise loves Powell and thj. Maybe throw in our 1st or Josh Green to get a deal done
What can Mavs give in a sign n trade ??
Excatly ……..
Mavs aren’t going to get any real talent. U less it’s a dump. Westbrook is available. Wall is available. Sign Brunson and use Dinwiddie to get Randle ….. no one else is coming
How many times are you going to say the Mavs should trade Dinwiddie for Randle? Seriously you have posted that like 10 times at least. You keep acting like it’s ridiculous that anyone worthwhile is going to Dallas. But act like they are going to take that horrible Randle contract. Talk about ridiculous! You are pretty unintentionally comical.
This team won’t be competitive next year. Middle of the pack at best. Maybe they get out of the 1st round with sheer Luka desire. Otherwise, disappointing season ahead… and then staring into the abyss.
Interesting conclusion to make before they’ve made one offseason move
It’s just a setup to get to write “staring into the abyss”.
Noting an emergent abyss makes for a good justification when one is caught in a long stare.
;D :/
If the Hawks are moving on from Capela, worth a look depending on his injury.
Mavs best trade chip is Bronson. Period – and HE deserves a team – with ball in his hands. Dallas can’t give him that… Bronson earned that with his play in these playoffs.
S&T him to Detroit for Grant, if that’s possible.
The five-out had a great start with Brunson but it seemed to get solved. They need for it a 5 who can handle & shoot 3s. Brunson eventually was not that effective so maybe a S&T is how they get one.
Funny Porzingis projects to be better at 5-out than Dinwiddie does. Doncic, not a fan of KP, might disagree.
Bamba hits 3s, Muscala, Valancunas. Expecting a 5 to run to the corners every time is a bit much to expect tho. Put them at the elbow for setting picks. I’m not a fan of 5 guys behind the 3-pt line.
If nothing else Cubes will go a little deeper into his pocket to retain Brunson (who they can’t lose) and Nico does some work around the edges.
I’m not the biggest THJ fan … but it’s probably worth mentioning he was out almost all year? The guy had some real games against LAC in last year’s playoffs and adding him to this rotation in theory pushes the ceiling higher next year, even if no major moves are made.
And I’m not sure there’s a big move to be made – DAL has the picks to do a Jrue-like swap, but would Utah or Chicago be interested?
Gobert on paper makes some sense – upgrade the defense from really good to elite, let Luka singlehandedly make you pretty good offensively. That’s usually a championship caliber formula, assuming Gobert can stay on the floor in the playoffs.
Not sure about a late 20s LaVine coming off a knee procedure – the guy’s been pretty reliant on athleticism to date, and coming off the KP debacle I’m not sure I’d want to dole out the max to another guy who isn’t 1000% healthy
I’d work out a trade with OKC around them taking Bertans. Maybe like Bertans/conditional 1st for Muscala. That opens up enough space under the luxury tax to sign another big like Bamba to the MLE.