The Dallas Mavericks lost Jalen Brunson in 2022 NBA Free Agency after the guard inked a deal with the New York Knicks. However, the Mavs signed JaVale McGee to a 3-year, $20 million dollar deal. McGee obviously isn't the same player as Brunson and this wouldn't quality as a replacement. But signing a veteran like McGee brings forth its own set of benefits.
Today, we are grading the Mavs' JaVale McGee signing.
Grading Mavs' JaVale McGee signing in 2022 NBA Free Agency
JaVale McGee isn't a star. But he played a crucial role for the Phoenix Suns during this past season. The 34-year old veteran big man averaged 9 points, 7 rebounds and 1 block during the regular season, per Basketball Reference. But his true value stems from his hustle and energy. Sure, McGee is a quality rim protector and offers plenty of rebounding prowess. But he rarely gets out-hustled and can spark a boost of momentum for his team with his tenacious style of play.
The Mavs lacked that type of player last season. Luka Doncic is an MVP-caliber superstar who can fire up an arena. But other than Doncic, the Mavs did not feature a pure hustle player with the ability to energize the team.
So this JaVale McGee signing has the potential to be extremely underrated.
It should be noted that the Mavs already feature post depth between Christian Wood, Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber, and Dorian Finney-Smith. So the team will likely attempt to move one or two of those guys after dishing out $20 million dollars to McGee.
And if they don't move any of their big men, it will be interesting to see how they utilize McGee this season.
Final verdict
The fit is a bit odd given Dallas' needs. The Mavs would benefit from wing and guard help more than another post player. With that being said, I do like what McGee can offer the team.
This won't be a season changing move and it certainly doesn't make up for the loss of Jalen Brunson. But this is a sneaky good signing that will provide the Mavs with plenty of depth.
Final grade: B-
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