4 Mavericks Who Won't Be Back in 2024

The Dallas Mavericks’ magical postseason run ended on Monday night as they lost in Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics, the new champions of the NBA. For the Mavs, this was a season to remember as not many people thought they would win the West and make a deep playoff run, especially when you had the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

However, the Mavericks took the young Thunder down in six games in the Western Conference semifinals and then defeated the Timberwolves in five games in the Western Conference Finals. The Mavs got great performances from the Luka Doncic/Kyrie duo in the playoffs, and a couple of unexpected highlight performances from P.J. Washington and Derrick Jones Jr.

That said, for the Mavericks to get back to this spot next season, they must make some notable changes to their roster in the offseason, which means there could be a few players changing zip codes. 

The Mavericks only have four free agents this offseason, the most notable being Jones, who had his share of ups and downs in the playoffs. Below, we’ll discuss the four players who might not be back in the Lone Star State next year after a promising season ends.

1. Derrick Jones Jr.

We just mentioned Jones, so it’s only right that we discuss the possibility of him not being back with the team next season.

The 27-year-old wing, known more for his defense, saw an increased role with the Mavs this season as he started in 66 out of 76 games. Jones Jr. rewarded head coach Jason Kidd with 8.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game (career-high).

The 6-foot-5 forward also shot 48.3 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from beyond the arc on 3.1 attempts per game (career-high). The Mavs needed Jones to expand his offensive game as there’s only so much the Doncic-Irving duo can do offensively.

Then when the playoffs rolled around, the veteran forward upped his game, averaging 9.1 points and 3.5 rebounds in 29.4 minutes per game. Not only was Jones shooting the ball better in the playoffs, but his defense was also slightly improved (115 DRtg in playoffs/116 DRtg in the postseason).

Jones’ best series in the playoffs happened against the Thunder, where he scored 12.8 points per game. The Thunder didn’t have an answer for the vet as he scored 17-plus points in the last three games of that series.

However, Jones couldn’t recapture that same scoring touch against a superior defensive team as the Celtics, who were okay with leaving him open from beyond the arc. 

Jones is set to enter free agency this summer, where he could get a bigger payday from another team. Or there’s a chance that the Mavericks re-sign him, but one does wonder how much they would give him given some of the other moves they need to make.