The Dallas Mavericks are a consistently competitive franchise, particularly since the turn of the century, a period during which they've made the playoffs 18 out of 23 seasons. Though a lot of that success has come from the draft and the trade tables, some savvy free agency moves have also helped to keep them in the upper echelon of the Western Conference more often than not. With that in mind, let's take a look at the seven best free agent signings in Mavs history.

7. George McCloud (1994)

George McCloud was no superstar, but after signing with the Mavs following four seasons with the Pacers in which he never averaged more than 20 points or 7.2 points on a 10-day contract, the return on investment here was pretty good. McCloud's first season in Dallas was serviceable, with his ppg jumping up to 9.6 and the 38.2% he shot from three a sign of things to come. It was in the next season, however, where he really excelled. McCloud nearly doubled his points tally to 18.9 points while again shooting close to 40% from long range, while he also grabbed 4.8 boards and 2.7 assists. The next season was his last with the team and he dropped off a little on the year prior, but his three seasons in Dallas certainly outperformed the initial expectations which surrounded him.

6. Terry Davis (1991)

Terry Davis was exactly the kind of free agency signing that helps to take a franchise to the next level – even if that isn't exactly how his tenure in Dallas played out. Davis had spent two years with the Heat and hadn't exactly set the world on fire, but the scope for growth was there. The Mavs banked on that, and in the first season cashed that cheque as Davis averaged a near double-double with 10.2 points and 9.9 boards per game. The next season he averaged 12.7 points, and at just 26 years of age appeared poised for a solid career, but unfortunately a serious elbow injury he picked up in a car accident essentially ended those hopes. He spent three more seasons with the Mavs but played just seven games in that time, before being waived in 1996. The rapid end to his career ultimately played a role in Dallas' failure to pick themselves up off the scrap heap of the Western Conference during the mid-90s, but if it weren't for a dose of bad luck he would have been a really good free agent signing.

5. Dorian Finney-Smith (2016)

Dorian Finney-Smith was initially brought in to play Summer League for the Mavs in 2016 as a guy whose defensive prowess was well known, but who didn't have a whole lot else going for him on the court. That was particularly evident early in his career with the Mavericks as he averaged just 4.3 points in his first season, but testament to the hard-working nature of the man, he incrementally improved his minutes, points, assists and three-point percentage in each of his first six seasons to the point where he was averaging 11.9 points and shooting 39.5% from long range by 2021-22, while continuing to be a stifling defender. Partway through his seventh season with the team, Finney-Smith was shipped off to Brooklyn, but he had already well and truly established himself as a much loved and fondly remembered member of the Mavericks.

4. Monta Ellis (2013)

Monta Ellis' stay in Dallas wasn't a particularly long one, but he was certainly productive while there. Joining the team after two years with the Bucks – which followed his development into an elite scorer at the NBA level with the Warriors – Ellis made an immediate impact, averaging 19.0 points and 5.7 assists in his first season. He was a handy foil to Nowitzki, and helped to sneak the side into the playoffs and then take the top seed, the Spurs, to seven games on the back of 26.0 points per game in that series. Of course, Ellis was far from perfect and his defensive limitations were not lost on anybody, but as a scorer it was hard to argue with what he brought to the table. Unfortunately he spent only two seasons in Dallas, but in that time he 19 points and 4.9 assists, and started in every game that he played.

3. Brad Davis (1980)

If Ellis' stay in Dallas was short but sweet, Davis' was long and, well, pretty good too. He signed way back in 1980, in the Mavs' very first season, after an indifferent start to his NBA career which saw him play for three different teams in his first three seasons, but upon moving to Dallas he immediately saw an uptick in production. He averaged 11.2 points and 6.9 assists per game as the primary facilitator for the team, and he'd go on to average at least double figure points and six dimes in each of his first five seasons there. His production gradually began to dwindle thereafter, but by the time his career came to a close he had spent a hefty 12 seasons with the Mavericks and established himself as a cornerstone of the early stages of this franchise's history.

2. JJ Barea (2006)

JJ Barea actually signed with the Mavericks for nothing on two occasions throughout his career, both of which yielded a long and productive stay with the team. The first of those signings came in 2006 when he signed as an undrafted rookie, and though he started slowly the 5'10” point guard eventually made it clear that he was good enough to play on an NBA court, despite his diminutive stature. Though he started just 45 games during his first stint with the team – which lasted for five seasons – he was a valuable contributor off the bench and most importantly, played a solid role for the team in their 2010-11 championship, starting the last three games of the NBA Finals against LeBron James' Heat team and averaging 13.3 points and 4.7 assists during that time. Barea would subsequently head to Minnesota, where he remained for three years before re-signing as a free agent with the Mavericks in 2014. His second tenure with the team was even longer and arguably more fruitful, at least from an individual perspective. He went on to play six more seasons with the team, averaging double figure points in four consecutive seasons. His best came in 2017-18, when he averaged 11.6 points and 6.3 rebounds.

1. Shawn Marion (2009)

Shawn Marion was already 31 years of age and over a decade into his illustrious NBA career when he signed with the Mavericks, but his age certainly didn't stop him from having an impact for the team. In his first season in Dallas, Marion started every game, and though he was subsequently moved to the bench to begin the next season by Rick Carlisle, he jumped back into the starting lineup when Caron Butler was injured early in 2011. The rest, as they say, is history. The Mavericks would go on to famously win the championship that season, with Marion playing a significant role in their playoffs run. He started all 21 games during the postseason and put together a couple of big performances, notably a 26-point effort to close out the Western Conference Finals against the Thunder, and then a 20-point performance to help the Mavericks level the NBA Finals at 1-1 in a thrilling game. He also spent plenty of time guarding LeBron James in what was probably the biggest blotch on his career. Following that championship, Marion went on to play three more seasons in Dallas, starting every game in the following two before falling off the perch a little in his last. This signing, however, was worth its weight in gold, and for what it helped bring to Dallas, goes down as the best in the history of the franchise.