Why the Dallas Mavericks should go for broke this offseason

Will the Hornets trade Kemba Walker?

Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

For the Dallas Mavericks, the opportunity to compete in the NBA’s Western Conference is now. It’s not necessarily now or never, but perhaps more now or later. In any case, now is certainly an option. And for a franchise that hasn’t been a serious contender since 2011, there’s no time like the present.

With the downfall of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty complete and the demolishing of the Golden State Warriors roster as we know it pending, the Western Conference figures to be as wide-open next season as it’s been in at least a half-decade.

The big picture: The Mavericks finished as the No. 14 seed in the West this season, but Dallas can compete in the conference next season. The foundation is there. If there was ever a time to absolutely splurge in the offseason, it’s right now.

From the ground up: The Mavericks are coming off an unbelievably noteworthy season for a team that finished 15 games out of a playoff spot.

The franchise said goodbye to an all-time legend in Dirk Nowitzki while saying hello to the next big thing in Luka Doncic. Dallas made a splash last offseason when it signed the elusive De’Andre Jordan only to trade Jordan and 2017 first-round pick Dennis Smith Jr. to the New York Knicks for Kristraps Porzingis.

Let’s take a look at what the Mavs’ roster looks like in its current state:

Top-tier targets: “Top-tier” is a relative term in this sense. In all honesty, we don’t expect Dallas to be in contention for some of the true “top-tier” guys in this free agency class, such as Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. But the depth of this free agency class should allow Dallas to grab some serious difference makers this summer.

Other names to consider: Even if Dallas lands one of the aforementioned big-name players, they’re going to need a little extra firepower if they want to seriously compete in the Western Conference.

This year’s Western Conference Finals featured two teams stacked with superstars at the top, but they were also able to go deep off the bench. Dallas is going to need some more rotation-ready guys and mid-level starters if they want to make noise in the 2020 postseason.

Final thoughts: For the Mavericks, this offseason could be the most pivotal in Mark Cuban’s tenure. They’ve come up short a lot in recent years. They failed to sign Steve Nash in 2004, let Tyson Chandler walk away after 2011 and whiffed on De’Andre Jordan in 2015.

Things are different now. Or at least, they better be. The Mavericks could be serious contenders next season for the first time since Chandler joined the Knicks, assuming they make the right moves. But if they whiff again, as they have for years, they’ll likely end up staying where they are right now: on the outside looking in.

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