Over the last two seasons, the Dallas Mavericks were ousted by the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. One glaring weakness of the franchise was their difficulty of finding a secondary ball handler and shot creator that could complement their budding superstar Luka Doncic. Defenses would focus on containing him and making it a point to make his teammates attempt ill-advised shots.
With the revamp in the Mavs' front office and coaching staff, expectations continue to increase entering the fourth year of Doncic. Head coach Jason Kidd is now manning the helm for Dallas as he tries to implement a different system that would possibly give the team a better chance of making it further in the playoffs. With 77 games remaining in their season, here are three possible targets that Dallas could acquire via the buyout or trade market.
3 playmakers Mavs must acquire to help Luka Doncic
John Wall buyout
The Houston Rockets are one of the rebuilding teams that is building their squad through a young core. However, they still have the enormous contract of John Wall on their payroll for the next two years. As he does not plan to play until he is traded, he should just agree to a buyout with the Rockets even if he will lose several millions of dollars.
As he continues to age in his career, he must not waste his years riding the bench, but he could possibly with a talented unit in Dallas. He could play together with Doncic for stretches of each game, but the most important contribution he will bring to the organization is running the offense when Doncic is resting on the bench.
Wall could also be on the closing lineup of Dallas along with Doncic, Tim Hardaway Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith, and Kristaps Porzingis. If the Mavericks acquire Wall, he could revitalize his career and prove himself on a playoff contending franchise again.
Acquire Goran Dragic
With a $19 million expiring contract with the Toronto Raptors, Goran Dragic is expected to buyout the final year of his deal to contribute in a team that has championship aspirations. Dragic was part of the core of the Miami Heat Bubble run who finished at runner-up behind the Los Angeles Lakers. As a leftie slasher with vast playoff and international experience, he will a major role instantly in the system of Kidd.
Being a Slovenian as well, Dragic and Doncic will have that impeccable chemistry on and off the court, which will likely elevate their production as well. Dragic could alternate as a scorer of orchestrator as he could play as a sixth man or starting shooting guard as well. Additionally, he could create shots for himself in the endgame wherein defenses would clamp up on Doncic. Signing Dragic would be brilliant for Kidd, Doncic, and the rest of the Mavs.
Inquire on Lou Williams from Hawks
Lou Williams is already 35 years of age, but he has continuously proven to be an effective scorer especially in the biggest stage. With his expiring contract at $5 million, Dallas could easily build a package for Atlanta to accept the offer as they have Delon Wright to backup their own superstar point guard Trae Young.
Williams can come off the bench and score 10-12 points when Doncic is on the bench to build on their lead or keep the game at a close margin. Even if he is a liability on defense, the threat of having Williams on the floor on crucial junctures of big games will be integral for the Mavs. With the multitude of skill sets and moves that Williams possesses, he will still be difficult to guard when he plays with Doncic and three other shooters on the floor.
As it is still early in the season, hopes are high that Dallas could acquire pieces to complement Doncic and possibly advance deeper into the playoffs.
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