The 2019 offeason was similar to most other recent offseasons in Dallas for one key reason: The Mavericks entered free agency armed with enough cap room to sign a maximum-salary player, but struck out on their top target(s).
Still, while there was nothing new about the Mavs missing out on their preferred veteran star in free agency, there was one important difference this time around — the franchise had already acquired a potential cornerstone in a trade earlier in the year. And since Kristaps Porzingis was a restricted free agent, Dallas had no problem locking him up to a five-year, maximum-salary contract.
While the Mavs certainly would’ve liked to add a veteran All-Star like Walker to the mix to form a Big Three with up-and-coming stars Porzingis and Luka Doncic, they’ll have more opportunities to go that route. Doncic won’t get a huge raise until 2022, and the club should have major cap flexibility again in 2021. By that time, perhaps the allure of joining Porzingis and Doncic will strengthen the Mavs’ position in free agency, allowing them to secure the big fish that has eluded them in recent years.
Key offseason losses:
He was far from an elite player during the final year of his career in 2018/19, but Dirk Nowitzki retired this spring as far and away the best Maverick in franchise history. After spending 21 seasons in Dallas, Nowitzki is the team’s all-time leader in points, rebounds, three-pointers, blocks, and way too many other categories to list.
Mark Cuban and the Mavs’ front office probably regrets not being able to build a more effective roster around Nowitzki during the final years of his career. After winning a title in 2011, Dirk only made four more playoff appearances and didn’t make it out of the first round in any of them.
Even if it wasn’t a storybook ending for Nowitzki in Dallas, the 21-year union between the Mavs and the German was a bigger success than an NBA team and player could realistically expect. The 41-year-old retires after having established a new record for most seasons spent with a single team, and it seems inevitable that he’ll get involved with the Mavs’ front office or ownership group at some point.
None of the Mavericks’ other departures were nearly as notable as Dirk’s, but Salah Mejri was a solid backup big man, and Trey Burke and Devin Harris played regular minutes in the backcourt. While Harris remains unsigned and could theoretically still return to Dallas, the team already has 15 players on guaranteed contracts.
Key offseason additions:
Many of the Mavericks’ free agent deals this summer were with their own free agents — Porzingis, Maxi Kleber, Dorian Finney-Smith, and J.J. Barea all re-upped with Dallas on new contracts. However, the club also brought in a handful of role players who should complement Doncic and Porzingis and solidify the rotation.
Seth Curry, signed using the mid-level exception, enjoyed a breakout season in Dallas in 2016/17, when he averaged 12.8 PPG with a .425 3PT%. A leg injury sidelined Curry for his final season with the Mavs, and he spent the 2018/19 campaign in Portland, but he’s back in Dallas now on a four-year contract that will pay him $32MM.
The Mavs attempted the fourth-most three-pointers in the NBA last season, but ranked 27th in three-point percentage. Their percentage dipped even further after the All-Star break without Harrison Barnes and Wesley Matthews in the lineup. It made sense then that two of the club’s top targets in free agency were Curry and Danny Green, both of whom ranked in the top three in 3PT% in 2018/19. The Mavs couldn’t land Green, but Curry will be asked to let it fly and provided much-needed floor spacing this season.
Because they remained over the cap, the Mavs held onto the $21MM+ trade exception they generated in last season’s Barnes deal, and used part of that exception to acquire Delon Wright in a sign-and-trade. Wright, who frequently played alongside another point guard during his three and a half years in Toronto, should have no problem sharing the court with Doncic and sharing play-making responsibilities with the second-year star.
In the middle, the Mavs opted to replace Mejri with Boban Marjanovic, a big man capable of looking like the most dominant player on the court in certain matchups and being run off the floor in others. Like Mejri, he probably won’t be asked to play more than 10-15 minutes per game, and there may be nights when he sees less than that.
Outlook for 2019/20:
It’s a new era for the Mavericks in Dallas as the club prepares for life without Nowitzki. While the 14-time All-Star will certainly be missed, the Mavs appear to have identified a pair of players capable of headlining the new era of Dallas basketball, and it will be fascinating to see how Doncic and Porzingis mesh this season.
If the two rising stars stay healthy and make the sort of strides we expect, the Mavs could enter the playoff mix in the Western Conference sooner than we expect. The safer bet is that the duo remains at least a year away from making any real noise in the West, but this is a team on the rise. After three straight seasons of 49+ losses, the Mavs will be expecting to take a step forward in 2019/20.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Standard contracts: