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Dallas Mavericks: 5 Admirable Acquisitions for the Mavericks

By Adithya Prabakaran

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 15: Kemba Walker #15 of the Charlotte Hornets dribbles past Bobby Portis #5 of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on March 15, 2019 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 15: Kemba Walker #15 of the Charlotte Hornets dribbles past Bobby Portis #5 of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on March 15, 2019 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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DALLAS, TEXAS – MARCH 18: Julius Randle #30 of the New Orleans Pelicans celebrates with Darius Miller #21 of the New Orleans Pelicans in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on March 18, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TEXAS – MARCH 18: Julius Randle #30 of the New Orleans Pelicans celebrates with Darius Miller #21 of the New Orleans Pelicans in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on March 18, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Julius Randle, PF, New Orleans

Randle coming to Dallas would be a healthy relationship for both sides as Randle continues to be an underrated free agent. Not only would it be fun for him to return to Dallas to play for his hometown team, but also he will be relatively inexpensive. I reckon this is an interesting situation.

Randle’s game is a bit old school for the “new age” NBA. He is an athletic power forward who possesses decent post play. He is really good in transition and is a better than average playmaker averaging over 3.5 assists last year. Did I forget to mention he generally comes on the floor as a sixth man?

Randle has a similar role to Montrezl Harrell except Randle can be more ball dominant. Both guys come off the bench and provide the energy and intensity for their teams bench units. What Randle does better is he’s a better passer and a far better 3 point shooter. Last season he shot 34% from 3 on 3 attempts per game whereas Harrell shot 17% on 0.2 attempts.

As it stands, Randle has a player option for this season. If the Mavs express an interest in Randle, I’d imagine he’d opt out of his option. Oh yeah, that option will earn him $9 million according to Spotrac. Dwight Powell was awarded $9.6 million for his services this last season. I’m not asking for you to choose one or the other, but who would you rather have at the same price point?

Having Randle as a 6th man is the type of depth the Mavs need in order to take them to the next level. His ability to literally dominate in a “bench” role will help any team even if the Mavs style of play doesn’t bode well with Randle. Even though he averaged 21.6 points per game last year, most were from regular field goal attempts.

If Randle continues not to start, this acquisition makes sense. He will provide valuable depth and can score points his way before the starting unit has to come back on the court. Even if he doesn’t shoot a lot of threes, he’s still an efficient scorer with some decent play making ability. At $15 million Randle could be a steal for the Mavs.

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