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The Dallas Mavericks weren’t one of the noisiest teams in the off season so far. Just to give a brief recap, they resigned Tim Hardaway Jr., acquired Reggie Bullock and Sterling Brown and brought back Willie Cauley-Stein and Boban Marjanovic. Don’t get me wrong, these are important and great moves for the Mavs, but here’s the problem: they’re still the same team as last season.
For the past three years, the Mavs have been a mediocre Western Conference team. Yes, they do have a superstar in Luka Donic (who could be the face of the NBA in a couple of years), but it doesn’t seem like the Mavs are getting better every year. Going with the same group (with a few upgrades) almost every year is not the answer to progress, especially if the team has been kicked out of the playoffs in the first round for two consecutive years in a row.
Mavs NBA Free Agency
Dallas Mavericks star @luka7doncic on agreeing to his $207M supermax rookie extension: pic.twitter.com/fyeaqfyjWB
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 9, 2021
The mistake the Mavs could be making is settling for mediocrity. Remember the first era of LeBron James in Cleveland? How did that turn out? The King spent seven years in Cleveland before leaving them. One of the biggest reasons as to why James left his hometown team is because of the Cavs’ failure to put a contending team around James, who at that time wasted the first few years of his talent.
After becoming the youngest player in NBA history to average 35 PPG in a single postseason, Luka Doncic becomes the youngest player in NBA history to receive a $200M contract.
He won't turn 23 until February. pic.twitter.com/TuOlX0MBO8
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 9, 2021
The Mavericks cannot do this to Luka Donic. Yes, there’s some sort of security after the golden boy of the NBA signed a $207 million contract extension with them. But remember, it’s a player empowerment league and if Doncic isn’t satisfied, he’s powerful enough to find a way to get out of Dallas. Thats why, the Mavs should at least find a way to show Doncic that they are doing everything they can to put him in a place to succeed instead of running it back with the same roster.
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Who should the Mavs sign?
The Mavs were rumored to acquire big names in the market this off season, specifically Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry but once again, failed to do so. The names they signed this off season are good key pieces but not enough to move the needle, in my opinion. The Mavericks need to find a way to get Doncic another star player or even an all-star, who can help him especially come playoff time.
One player that might help the Mavericks in Goran Dragic, who was recently traded to the Raptors for Kyle Lowry. Dragic has indicated that he’s not all in with the Raptors, probably sending out the message that he wants to play somewhere else. This is who the Mavs should target.
Dragic is a tough veteran who can be the second ball handler for the Mavericks. He’s a reliable scorer who can take the load off Doncic. The Slovenian can also be that veteran presence or mentor that Doncic could really have right now as well. Signing a proven player like Dragic could help the Mavs especially if Mr. Cuban can find a way to add other (cheap) veterans to this team as well.
Ultimately, the Mavs should make sure that they don’t repeat the same mistake again and again by staying stagnant. When a team has one of the most promising young players in the league today, they have to do everything they can to keep him and put him in position to succeed.
