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The Dallas Mavericks were one of the few teams to enter the offseason with a significant amount of cap space at their disposal. They were expected to be a busy franchise concerning player acquisitions this summer.
The Mavericks looked sharp by the end of the 2020-21 NBA season and were very close to beating the LA Clippers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. However, their roster lacked a few key elements that would have helped them get over the line.
A few of their biggest needs during the offseason were to add another playmaker, some decent defensive players and more shooters to their roster. The Dallas Mavericks also needed to re-sign a few of their own free agents, who played exceedingly well last campaign.
Luka Doncic's rookie extension was also impending, but as expected, he has signed a five-year $207 Supermax contract.
Before we analyze the current depth of the Mavs, let's take a look at what notable signings they made during free agency.
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Tim Hardaway Jr. was easily the Dallas Mavericks' second-best player last season behind Luka Doncic. The guard averaged 16.6 points per game and shot a career-high three 3s per contest on 7.6 attempts. Bringing back THJ was one of the primary objectives for the Mavs in free agency.
The Miami Heat were one team with cap space that had shown interest in signing Hardaway, but the Dallas Mavericks made sure they get a deal sorted as soon as possible. The free agency class for players like Hardaway was limited, and replacing him would have been an uphill task.
Hardaway covers the need to have another shooter and scorer on the roster. It lifts a lot of pressure off Luka Doncic in the scoring department. The Mavericks signed THJ for $75 million that will be paid across four years.
Reggie Bullock
Reggie Bullock was one of the biggest signings the Dallas Mavericks made in the 2021 NBA Free Agency. Bullock ticks a lot of boxes for the Mavericks. He can shoot well from the three-point line and is also a pesky defender while averaging double-digit points.
He averaged 10.9 points per game last season, playing as a starting forward for the New York Knicks. He was key in helping the Knicks become one of the best defensive teams in the NBA and also shot 41.1% from the three-point line. The Mavericks used the $9,5 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception to sign the forward on a 3-year $30.5 million deal.
Sterling Brown
The Dallas Mavericks made sure they had enough depth in the frontcourt with the acquisition of Sterling Brown. They signed the forward for a two-year deal worth $6.2 million. Brown is a respectable scorer off the bench and averaged 8.2 points per game last season. His shooting is one of his most valuable traits as he converted 42.3% of his shots from deep in the 2020-21 NBA campaign.
Have the Dallas Mavericks addressed their biggest needs?
The Dallas Mavericks did cover a lot of their needs, but not their biggest one. They desperately need another playmaker to compliment Luka Doncic and lead the team's offense when he is off the floor.
They had roughly $33 million at their disposal heading into free agency. They used most of it to re-sign their own players like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Boban Marjanovic. Yes, that was important, but the Mavs should have given more attention to landing a point guard this summer.
With the majority of top playmaking guards like Kyle Lowry and Spencer Dinwiddie signing with other teams, it leaves the Dallas Mavericks with limited options in free agency. The only way they could explore to resolve this issue is by exploring the trade market.
They have been linked to Goran Dragic lately, but it remains to be seen if a trade deal will go through or not. Let's see what the current depth chart looks like for the Dallas Mavericks.
Dallas Mavericks depth chart
The Dallas Mavericks have made certain improvements to cover most of their needs. Their frontcourt looks sorted at the moment, but their backcourt still needs some work.
The Dallas Mavericks have all 15 of their roster spots filled out. They can look to trade for players, though, and as mentioned earlier, they have been linked with Goran Dragic recently. Apart from the Toronto Raptors man, Lauri Markkanen is another name that has been linked with the Mavs.
At the moment, Dragic seems like a player who will fill the need for the Mavs, and they should certainly look to pursue him aggressively. There's also Malcolm Brogdon of the Indiana Pacers, who has been rumored to be on the trade block.
The Mavericks shouldn't hold back anymore if an opportunity to land a quality ball-handler arises. That's because it would be an important step in their objective to convert their current roster into a title-contending team in the foreseeable future.
