Luka Doncic is not expected to ask for an out from the mess that is the Dallas Mavericks, however, the NBA superstar has made it clear the organization must make some bold changes if they hope to keep him happy and return to prominence next season.
Without a doubt, this has been one of the worst seasons in the history of the Dallas Mavericks. Not because they finished with one of the worst records in the league, but because they ended a season of massive hope disastrously.
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After reaching the Western Conference Finals last year, there was a belief the team was a couple of pieces away from contending for a championship in 2022-2023. However, for much of this season, they were chasing just being competitive, after losing Jalen Brunson in NBA free agency last summer. Brunson’s departure ended up being an insurmountable problem that even a blockbuster trade for superstar guard Kyrie Irving could not fix.
In fact, the trade for Irving ended up being a detriment instead of a help, and the Western Conference Finalists didn’t even reach the postseasons in 2023. While Luka Doncic eased organizational fears that he might ask for a trade this offseason on Sunday, he also made it loud and clear to team officials that the Dallas Mavericks have “got to change” this poor mix they currently have.
With that in mind, let’s speculate on four bold moves the Dallas Mavericks could make this summer to bring a 180-degree change to their fortunes from this past season.
Sign Draymond Green in NBA free agency
There is no denying the Mavericks locker room needs a culture change led by championship pedigree and some toughness. There is no better player — that could be available — to bring that sort of a paradigm shift than Draymond Green.
The four-time champion has an out in his contract after this season and is expected to exercise it. If the Golden State Warriors disappoint in this year’s NBA Playoffs, there is a real chance the organization would be open to moving on from him this summer. And if Dallas is willing to overpay, Green could certainly be persuaded to be the new locker room and defensive leader for the Mavs as they pursue a title in 2023-2024.
Trade for Rudy Gobert
If you were somehow under a rock over the last few days, you may have missed that the Minnesota Timberwolves have been imploding, and Rudy Gobert may have stamped his ticket out of town after a messy situation this weekend.
The big three of Gobert, Karl Anthony-Towns, and Anthony Edwards just hasn’t worked. A case could be made that they still need more time, but it may be hard to recover from Gobert punching a teammate during a game to end the season. The Dallas Mavericks badly need a defensive anchor and the three-time All-Star would certainly be that and could come far cheaper than he did last season as Minnesota looks for addition by subtraction.
Dismiss head coach Jason Kidd
While it may not be likely, there is no better way to bring about greater change than to end Jason Kidd’s tenure as head coach in Dallas. The Hall-of-Famer hasn’t been a disaster leading the team, and he was there for their run to the conference finals last season. However, his track record has been mixed throughout his coaching career, and failing badly with two superstars on the roster down the stretch this season won’t help build confidence with Dallas decision-makers.
If the team intends to re-sign Kyrie Irving, a different approach may be necessary from the bench, Plus there could be two elite coaches — Ime Udoka and Nick Nurse — available this offseason. Now may be the perfect time for a change, and Kidd’s decision to go public that it wasn’t his choice to bench his stars late in the season may have earned him some enemies in the Dallas front office.
Sign James Harden instead of Kyrie Irving
The assumption is that the Dallas Mavericks will do all they can to re-sign Kyrie Irving this off-season. But what if they went in a different direction and aimed for another future Hall-of-Famer with a similar skillset?
Many expect Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden to opt out of the final year of his contract and hit the NBA free agent market for one final big-money deal. The speculation for months has been that Harden will return to Houston this summer, however, he could be persuaded to join a different Texas team and have a better chance to compete for a title next season with Doncic.
After the combo of Doncic and Irving failed this season, Harden may be a better fit at this point in his career for Dallas.