Dallas Mavericks: Next summer is going to be even worse
By Reid Hanson
If you thought this summer was bad for the Dallas Mavericks, wait until next summer because it’ll likely be even worse
For those thinking, “Welp, there’s always next year”, you’ll be sorely disappointed to hear next year figures to be significantly less eventful than this summer was. Part of it is the natural cycle of roster building, but most of it is because the Dallas Mavericks planned it to be so.
When the Dallas Mavericks invested multiyear deals in Maxi Kleber, Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell, Delon Wright, and Seth Curry, they essentially said “pass” to the summer of 2020. That’s because Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis, and Tim Hardaway (combined with the new multiyear deals mentioned above) tie up the payroll enough to keep Dallas from being major players in free agency next summer.
This may sound like a massive bummer, but if you’re the Dallas Mavericks, it’s according to plan. Better yet, it’s according to a winning plan.
Let’s be clear – the Mavs do not think they struck out this summer. Sure, they missed their top target (Kemba Walker) but they resisted the urge to panic and spent responsibly on players in which they believe. They think Kleber is the budding star the analytics community loves. They expect DFS to rebound and become a decent wing defender. They’re convinced Wright is the kind of player that complements Doncic and makes others better around him (hidden value).
They resisted the temptation to invest in that green grass across the street and decided to water their own grass instead.
The summer of 2020 doesn’t figure to be a murder’s row of talent anyway. 2021 is the next big year. 2020 is the year Dallas holds fast and prepares to swing big in The Year of Giannis.
That doesn’t mean the Mavs will do nothing next summer. Courtney Lee is coming off the books as will a couple other moderately priced players. Mark Cuban doesn’t want to break the bank but he will certainly be willing to spend on a playoff contender like the Mavs expect to be.
Midlevel wing players will be available and chances are the Mavs will again be in the market for those. Assuming Delon Wright works out as the top defensive guard, Dallas could focus on wings to pair with DFS. Or if Justin Jackson works out, they may just lock him up.
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The point is the Mavs intended to stay put next summer but retain a touch of fluidity because there’s no telling how this season will unfold. They invested big in DFS, Kleber, and Powell because they believe those players will develop into key parts on a playoff team. They expect progression but have enough financial flexibility to correct course next summer if one of them fails to meet expectations.
The summer of 2019 was disappointing at first but upon further review (and through some MFFL tinted glasses), it really was pretty great.
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If you thought 2019 was bad, wait until 2020 because the Dallas Mavericks are expected to do even less. And that’s a good thing…
- Published on 10/01/2019 at 12:01 PM
- Last updated at 10/01/2019 at 08:04 AM