High Hopes arise for the Dallas Mavericks 2022 year

The 2022 NBA draft season has begun, and the Dallas Mavericks used their  first round selection to trade for big man Christian Wood.  However the team may have found the steal of the draft in the second round. With the offseason just underway, there is so much hope for a squad that was just two wins away from being in the NBA finals.

While the Dallas Mavericks did not splash on the first round of the draft, there is still plenty of optimism for Luka Doncic and company.

Before the night ended, the Dallas Mavericks made a last minute trade to acquire the 37 pick from the Sacramento Kings. With the selection, the team centered their attention on Jaden Hardy. Hardy is a G league player who averaged 17.7 points a game to go with 4.6 rebounds. He is known for his ability to drive to the basket and his power down low.

Before this season, he was a five star recruit who forged his senior season to play in the G league Ignite.

While he may not be known for his three point shooting, he can impact the game in other ways.

The last time the Mavs drafted was during the 2020 season. That year the team selected Stanford guard Tyrell Terry, a player who got waived a year later. That same season Dallas got  guard/forward Josh Green. The current role player has yet to capitalize during his time on the court.

Before Green and Terry, Dallas selected Isaiah Roby. Roby never saw playing time for the Mavs, as he was traded less than a year later.

However with his experience and value, Hardy could be a different player than picks from the past.

If this does not give fans hope then stay tuned as the free agency offseason is just weeks away.

With Nico Harrison in the room anything is possible.

Nico Harrison has shown promise as he traded away a fading Kristaps Porzingis for an athletic Spencer Dinwiddie and just a week ago he acquired Houston Rockets star Christian Wood.

With the Wood trade, Harrison opened up three roster spots for the team. This is huge for a crew that has many holes to fill including: a three and D guard, another solid perimeter defender and an extra shooter to support Doncic’s supporting cast.

Just a couple of days it was reported that the organization would be hosting a mini camp for current free agents

Some players expected to be in attendance include veterans Dion Waters and Tyreke Waters. If this does not stir the pot, the team is also expected to pursue 14 year veteran guard Goran Dragic. The savvy leader will provide tremendous support for a group missing experienced leadership.

Not to mention that Harrison spoke out not too long ago stating that resigning Jalen Brunson would be one of the organization’s top priority.

Oh and while this may be a rumor, it was Kyrie Irving expressed interested in playing for the Dallas Mavericks if he cannot get a deal done with the Brooklyn Nets. While this is a long shot, it might be sign of players wanting to play for Coach Jason Kidd.

With the the drafting of Hardy, the acquisition of Wood and free agent offseason just a week or so away, there is plenty of optimism for a team coming off an NBA Conference run. Time to get to continue working Nico Harrison!