The Dallas Mavericks had a great run to the Western Conference Finals this season. Despite dropping to the eventual champions Golden State Warriors, the season can be labeled a success. However, not to be outdone by the players and the coaching staff, the front office also wants to have a good summer – and they started great. The Mavs acquired Christian Wood and filled a hole in frontcourt scoring. Still, their roster is still not ideal, so there need to be some more incoming players this summer. There are a few needs, but there is one that is staring the Mavericks in the face. Here is the biggest need Mavs still must address this offseason after trading the 2022 NBA Draft pick for Christian Wood.
Biggest Mavs need after 2022 NBA Draft
Obviously, looking at their roster, their biggest need is a reliable, defensive-minded big man. Now, when we look at the numbers from last season, defensively, the Mavs were elite. They were sixth in defensive rating and second in opponent points per game, which are great spots to be in. However, they were also 29th in the league in blocks and 15th in the league in allowed points in the paint. Given the fact that the Mavs just made the Western Conference Finals, this is not a glaring need or one that caused them to lose the series versus the Warriors, but it is definitely their biggest one.
Looking at their frontcourt rotation, it is fairly thin, especially now that Boban Marjanovic was traded away. The Mavs have Christian Wood, Maxi Kleber, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Dwight Powell in the rotation for the center and power forward positions. Obviously, other players, such as Luka Dončić and Davis Bertans could hop in as stretch fours, but they are not meant for these positions. Thus, the key part of the Mavs offseason, other than the Jalen Brunson extension which is critical, will be signing a big man. Due to the expectation that Brunson will get the max, there are limited options for the Mavs. However, there are still players that they could go for.
If the Mavs want to go for a ton of experience, especially experience in the playoffs, the first name on their list should be Serge Ibaka. He is far removed from his Oklahoma City Thunder days when Ibaka was a defensive monster with a sweet stroke, but this is not a starting spot the Mavs are looking to fill. It is a rotational spot on a team with championship aspirations, so Ibaka should be just fine for a one-year, veterans minimum deal. He would bring some defense, very limited offense, and the experience that is sorely lacking in this team. Additionally, Ibaka would not take up any space and likely would not be the recipient of the MLE that the Mavs possess. It would be a great deal for the Dallas franchise.
The Mavs have another option if they want to go for experience and championship pedigree. It is their former player, JaVale McGee. McGee is a three-time NBA Champion, most recently in 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers. Additionally, he just had a bounceback season, averaging his best numbers since the 2018-19 season with the Lakers, playing for the Phoenix Suns. McGee would be a great defensive anchor and a rotational big man that could bring everything the Mavs really need. Additionally, he also would not take more than the veterans minimum, giving the Mavs an option to use the MLE they have available on another wing scorer, for instance. McGee might look at the Dallas roster and see a better chance of winning a championship than his current team, the Suns.
Last, but certainly not least, depending on how the market moves, Mohamed Bamba might be an available option. Granted, he is a restricted free agent, but the Orlando Magic do not seem very eager to keep him. If they really prioritize defense and frontcourt rotation, the Mavs could offer the MLE of around $6 million per year to Bamba, as it is difficult to see him getting much better offers. Bamba would be a real presence under the basket and playing with Doncic and Brunson could bring him a ton of easy points underneath the basket. Bamba would use the Mavs' MLE, but it could be a risk worth taking.
The Mavericks will definitely have a big summer. Getting Christian Wood is great, but the changes must not stop there. Due to limited space under the cap, the Mavs will have limited options, but when it comes to their biggest current need, which is a defensive big, there are a ton of options out there. These include Ibaka, McGee, and Bamba, which were mentioned here.
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