The Dallas Mavericks made some real noise when they made the Western Conference Finals. After two straight years of losing in the first round, the Mavs showed that they have what it takes to win at a high level with Luka Doncic. They showed that they are not too far off from being a true title contender.
Dallas' dismantling of the Utah Jazz and shocking victory over the Phoenix Suns made this offseason extremely important. They showed that they had a ton of talent around Doncic but needed to add more in order to contend for a title. Unless the front office has a few more tricks up its sleeve that it's waiting to pull out, no such improvements are coming.
The Mavs' offseason has been eventful and, at the moment, somewhat disappointing. The good moves they made will be overshadowed by the mistakes they made. Here are the 2022 NBA offseason grades for Dallas.
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Mavs 2022 NBA offseason grades
Trades: B-
The Mavs got the offseason party started by trading for Christian Wood. This move gives Dallas a solid scoring option next to Doncic and it came at a very cheap cost.
In exchange for Wood, the Mavs traded the 26th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and a collection of benchwarmers to the Houston Rockets. Wood is an athletic forward that can score inside, shoot the triple and potentially have a solid impact on defense (if he chooses to buy in). Paying just a late first-rounder for him is good business.
Early reports suggest Wood will be used as a sixth man but he should still see a ton of playing time. His contract expires after this season, so the Mavs will have to keep an eye out for that. Overall, though, the trade is a very good one that should pay off.
The reason that the Mavericks didn't score higher in this area is that they left a big opportunity on the table. They had a trade exception worth $10.9 million that they let expire. The Mavs could have traded for a role player like Seth Curry, Royce O'Neale, Monte Morris or Cedi Osman with that exception and instead did nothing with it. If they find themselves short one reliable rotation player, that will probably be why.
Draft: B+
The Mavs did very well in the draft given the amount of draft picks they had. After trading their first-round pick to the Rockets for Wood, they sent two future second-round picks to get the 37th overall selection and draft Jaden Hardy.
Hardy's draft buzz took a dip compared to where he started the season but he still has tons of potential. As a member of G League Ignite, he averaged 17.7 points in showcase games. He did, though also average only 3.2 assists compared to 3.5 turnovers while shooting 35.1 percent from the field. There are a ton of kinks to work out but the talent is clearly there with the 6-foot-4, 20-year-old guard.
Pull 🆙 pic.twitter.com/1anTIWYEuO
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) July 17, 2022
In the Las Vegas Summer League, Hardy showcased his flashy scoring talents. He had some strong games despite not-so-good shooting splits but rookie guards struggling with efficiency is nothing new. Hardy has a very intriguing upside and the Mavs could use some help at the guard spots. Dallas' rookie could end up having a solid impact and become a key player moving forward.
Free agency: D+
Simply put, Dallas had a bad time in free agency. When looking at the ongoing and outgoing players, they undoubtedly lost talent and now seem to have no ability to get it back.
The headlining transaction for the Mavs in 2022 free agency was losing Jalen Brunson to the New York Knicks. New York threw everything and the kitchen sink to get Brunson, ultimately signing him to a four-year, $104 million deal. Dallas could have given him even more money and went over the cap to sign him using his bird rights but were unable to bring him back.
The only player that Mavs did add was JaVale McGee. Dallas reunited with the 34-year-old center, possibly to be their starter, on a three-year deal. As a rebounder and shot blocker, he will have a solid impact on the team even as he ages. His long arms and lob-catching skills make him a natural fit with Doncic.
Last year, JaVale McGee had…
23 more blocks than Dallas’ leading shot blocker, Maxi Kleber in 287 less minutes played
more rebounds than anyone on the Mavericks except Luka Doncic with 496
286 2-pointers at 63.7%, which was more than any Maverick except Luka & Jalen Brunson
— All Things Mavs (@All_Things_Mavs) July 1, 2022
McGee being the lone addition is extremely disappointing, though. The Mavs didn't find a replacement for Brunson or any other players to bolster the roster. They re-signed Theo Pinson but his bench antics won't get them any closer to breaking through.
Overall: C+
The Mavs made some solid moves in the 2022 NBA offseason. They may have gotten one of the biggest steals of the draft and made a very good trade to add a scoring presence in the frontcourt.
However, Dallas may not be a better team. Losing a scorer/playmaker like Brunson with no backup plan will hurt. Hardy's game isn't comparable to Brunson's nor can he be fully expected to be ready to be a key player on a playoff team right away. That's no indictment on him but rather just the reality that most draft picks have.
The Mavs needed to make some big moves and improve their roster. The moves were there but the improvement is a huge question mark. For that reason, their overall NBA offseason grade is not very high.
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