It’s true, the Dallas Mavericks had a disappointing end to their season, but they’re no different than the rest of the 29 other teams who don’t end the year as NBA Finals winners. Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Jason Kidd already blew past expectations, so this year was far from a failure. But what will it take to get the Mavericks not only back in the NBA Finals but in a position to actually win? Here are 10 offseason moves the Mavs should consider this summer.
Trade for Dorian Finney-Smith
Teams can never have too many 3-and-D wing players. Dorian Finney-Smith was a good fit in Dallas before he was dealt to Brooklyn as part of the Kyrie Irving trade, and he’s the exact type of player who can make an impact on both sides of the floor without needing the ball in his hands. Yet, at a salary of $14.9 million, the Mavs can likely find a better trade target.
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Move Dereck Lively II to starting lineup, embrace youth movement
The good thing about the Mavericks’ current roster construction is that they already have two superstars. Not only that, Dallas also has several young players who could develop into impact players. We’ve already seen how good Dereck Lively II played, even as a rookie. Now he needs to move into the starting lineup over Daniel Gafford, but maybe it’s time to see how much Jalen Green, Jaden Hardy, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper could offer if given more consistent playing time.
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Clear Tim Hardaway Jr’s salary off books with a trade
We’ve listed several potential trade targets throughout this list, and while the Mavericks are already in a tight salary cap crunch, one way they can make the money match is by offering Tim Hardaway Jr, plus another draft pick or young player in exchange for one of their top targets. At his best, Hardaway is a knockdown perimeter shooter, but he was far too inconsistent this season, and that’s hard to stomach when he’s set to make $16 million next year.
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Trade for Alex Caruso
All 30 teams in the NBA want players like Alex Caruso. It’s why the Bulls were offered a top-10 pick for his services, but that’s also why Chicago said no. A two-time member of the NBA’s All-Defensive team, Caruso can not only defend the perimeter with ease, but he also offers a career 38% 3-point shooter who can put the ball on the floor and distribute a bit too, if needed. At just $9.8 million next season, Caruso is a bargain, but that’s only if the Mavs can present a strong enough trade offer.
Let Derrick Jones Jr leave as a free agent
Considering he was playing for $2 million this past season, the Mavericks got a bargain with Derrick Jones Jr. But even after his inconsistent play during the Finals, Jones is still expected to command a larger contract as a free agent. While he did have some excellent stretches with the Mavs, he’s likely not worth what he’s set to command on the open market. The Mavs would be better off focusing their attention elsewhere.
Trade for Bogdan Bogdanovic
There are several players the Mavericks could target via trade, but none may bring more to the table than Atlanta’s Bogdan Bogdanovic. The 31-year-old shooting guard is under contract through 2026-27 at a respectable rate of $17.2 million next year. If possible, the Mavs would be much better off with Bogdanovic than Hardaway as their Sixth Man who can provide an instant jolt of scoring. A career 38.4% 3-PT shooter, Bogdanovic could quickly become the third or fourth-best player on the Mavericks.
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Use only draft pick (No. 58) on a knockdown shooter
The Mavericks only have one pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and it doesn’t come until the very last selection, No. 58. In reality, they should take the player with the highest ceiling, but that won’t help the Mavericks win basketball games this year. If Dallas can identify a knockdown shooter, the Mavericks shouldn’t hesitate to draft him. You never know what other traits they may develop, but if he can shoot well enough, he could see some minutes, even on a contender.
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Trade Maxi Kleber for a shooter
Maxi Kleber has value around the NBA, but his impact is reduced in Dallas now that they’ve found a rotation of steady frontcourt players in Dereck Lively, Daniel Gafford, and P.J. Washington. His $11 million salary would be better used elsewhere, such as on a more consistent ball-handler or a knockdown shooter who can complement Doncic and Irving by maintaining proper floor spacing.
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Aggressively target another two-way wing to replace Derrick Jones
Depending on whether they re-sign Derrick Jones, or clear the salaries of Kleber and/or Hardaway off the books, the Mavericks may not have much money to spend in free agency. While an end-of-the-rotation type could be signed, don’t expect the Mavs to chase after the top free agents. However, the Mavericks could always use those big contract players mentioned above and find a money-matching trade with a team like Toronto for Bruce Brown, who has a $22 million salary as long as the Raptors pick up the team option on his contract. While he’s not a consistent shooter, Brown finds ways to make an impact by constantly moving to get open and making swift cuts to the hoop. He also brings near All-NBA level defense to the backcourt. He’d be a perfect fit in Dallas.
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Dallas Mavericks need to take more weight off Luka Doncic’s shoulders
Luka Doncic is pure magic. He’s one of the five best players in the NBA today and likely the best offensive player in the league. But somehow, the Mavericks need to reduce his workload. If that means fewer minutes throughout the season or even skipping some games altogether, he needs to head into the playoffs with fresh legs while being 100% healthy. Other ways the Mavs could help their superstar make fewer turnovers and play better defensively is by adding more reliable shot-makers who can earn the respect and trust of their peers. This way, Doncic would hopefully have more energy, which should lead to a stronger effort on defense and a clearer head when he has the ball.
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