The Dallas Mavericks are reportedly looking to make a big splash in 2021. Brian Windhorst of ESPN said Tuesday during an appearance on “The Jump” the Mavs want to sign Giannis Antetokounmpo to be their “third star” alongside Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.
Windhorst claimed the Mavs will “be at the head of the line” for Antetokounmpo's services. Windy also said the Mavs are likely to be fairly quiet this offseason and preserve cap space for their run at Giannis next summer:
“They want to keep their books clear for 2021,” Windhorst said, via RealGM. “I wouldn't expect them to add any major free agents this year. They're going to wait.”
Dallas already owes close to $108 million (assuming Tim Hardaway Jr. accepts his player option) to a number of players for the 2020-21 season, per Basketball-Reference.
The Mavs seemingly have little incentive to be aggressive this fall given they are probably going to be pretty close to the final cap number. They have even less incentive if they hope to make a play for The Greek Freak next summer.
Then again, there is no telling whether Antetokounmpo will ever reach free agency.
Giannis is eligible to sign a supermax with the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason. It is unknown just how strongly he feels about remaining with the Bucks, especially after their latest playoff exit. However, Antetokounmpo did say he would not request a trade when the Bucks were bounced from the playoffs.
Dallas would be an intriguing destination for Giannis if he does hit the open market. Doncic cemented his place as one of the best players in the NBA in just his second season, and Porzingis' skill set as a stretch 5 would complement Antetokounmpo well. This trio would be quite the formidable one for years to come given good health, especially given how young they all are.
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