After a slow start to his rookie campaign, Cooper Flagg hit his stride and showed everything he is capable of in his Rookie of the Year-winning season. The strong second half to his season demonstrated how bright the Dallas Mavericks' future is. But it's also for the front office to build the right team around him to maximize his potential.
So far, the Mavericks have failed to do that. Last season, the Mavs had an incredibly unbalanced team with so many frontcourt players and not enough perimeter creators. This led to an experiment where Cooper Flagg played point guard to start the season. This failed miserably. The struggles throughout the season proved that Dallas needed to add more shooting and shot creation around Flagg.
Even though the front office and coaching staff changed in Dallas, there hasn't been a material change in the strengths and weaknesses. The Mavs drafted Morez Johnson Jr. with the No. 9 pick, another non-shooting big man whose fit with Flagg is questionable. Besides Kyrie Irving, there is very little shot creation on the roster, and how he will look upon his return from an ACL tear is unclear.
That is why the Mavs have to make it their top priority to add more shooting and creation this offseason.
Anfernee Simons and Luke Kennard would be perfect pieces next to Cooper Flagg
Fortunately, there are a couple of free agents who can help the Mavs on that front without breaking the bank.
Anfernee Simons and Luke Kennard are two names that should be at the top of Mavericks president Masai Ujiri's list.
Simons is an unrestricted free agent after finishing the season with the Bulls following his trade deadline move from the Boston Celtics. He is an excellent shooter, both on and off the ball. The 27-year-old can be Kyrie insurance while also being able to play with him. He would immediately be the best off-the-dribble creator on the team after Irving.
Luke Kennard is an even better shooter than Simons. He played an important role in the Lakers' postseason run, which likely helped his case in free agency this summer. A career 44.2% shooter from three, Kennard led the league in three-point accuracy in three different seasons, including last year. He is also a solid passer and playmaker. His defense remains a big issue, but for a backup combo guard, the Mavs could do much worse.
The Mavs have the cap space to sign both players outright. They have access to the $15 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception and $5.5 million bi-annual exception, which should be enough to bring both Simons and Kennard. Even if it's just one of them, their off-the-dribble shot-making and floor-spacing would help the Mavs tremendously.
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