Do the Dallas Mavericks Rebuild or Reload?
By Reid Hanson
Do the Dallas Mavericks reload the roster this offseason or strip it down and try to build something better? It’s D-Day in Big-D…
The Dallas Mavericks have done it again. They built a winning team, made the playoffs, and all things considered, they had a pretty successful season. Not bad for a roster thrown together on the fly.
After missing out on free agent center, DeAndre Jordan, in spectacularly embarrassing fashion, Mark Cuban built a team made up of retreads, spare parts, and complementary players.
With the always spectacular coaching of Rick Carlisle, the Dallas Mavericks built a playoff team when very few outside of the D/FW area thought it was even possible. But alas, the season ended in the way we in north Texas have grown accustomed to.
A first round loss.
In a severely lopsided match-up.
Decisions await the Dallas Mavericks this offseason. Ready or not, D Day is approaching and the Mavs need to decide what they hope to accomplish these next few seasons. Is merely making the playoffs good enough or should the Mavs set their sights higher?
That’s the question Mark Cuban needs to ask himself.
These slightly better than mediocre seasons are getting old.
If the Mavericks are content being a fringe playoff team and wait to rebuild when nothing is left, then they might want to stay the course and reload this offseason in the same way they do every offseason.
If the Mavericks want to build a contender, it will require a much more aggressive plan. A plan that requires blowing up the team.
This is a decision Mark Cuban must make. Nobody is forcing his hand. Ticket sales are still relatively strong and the team’s legendary superstar doesn’t sound like he’s forcing anybody’s hand.
More from Sports Dallas Fort-Worth
- West coast, Texas coast, burnt toast: Cowboys don’t need more runs
- Brandin Cooks will change the way defenses play the Dallas Cowboys
- Why the Dallas Cowboys defensive X-Factor is EDGE Sam Williams
- Dallas Cowboys: 3 head coach options if McCarthy fails in 2023
- Dallas Cowboys: Is CB Jourdan Lewis a tradeable asset?
"“I signed on for three years a couple years ago,” Dirk Nowitzki said. “My intention was always to finish the contract. I always said I wanted to retire [with] the Mavs, especially after we won the championship a few years ago. There’s no reason to go anywhere unless the Mavs are rebuilding.”"
Dirk has his championship and clearly has little desire to contend for another trophy if it means leaving the only NBA city he’s ever called home.
The man is a legend around these parts and we love his loyalty almost as much as his accomplishments, but are we content seeing nothing but first round exits for the next few years?
I’m not going to pretend I know the right answer, either.
I want Dirk to retire in a Dallas Mavericks uniform just as much as the next guy, but these slightly better than mediocre seasons are getting old.
D Day is approaching the Mavs. Chandler Parsons is fully expected to opt out of his contract this offseason and will be seeking near-max money in the coming offseason. If the Mavs want him they can probably have him. But is he really the caliber of player that can lead a team out of the first round or is he just another complementary player demanding a ton of money?
If he’s the latter, the Cowboys already have that guy. His name is Wesley Matthews and he’s a great guy and a pretty good player. But neither player looks like the kinda guy that’s going to push the Dallas Mavericks into the second round of the playoffs – let alone make a team a legitimate contender.
Next: Dwight Powell: The Surprise Star
Should the Dallas Mavericks rebuild or reload? One of those accepts the standard quo, while the other involves stripping down a team and saying goodbye to the greatest player this franchise has (and probably will) ever seen.