Ranking All 15 Players on the Mavericks 2023 Roster, Worst to Best
The Dallas Mavericks had a disappointing 2022-23 season, and it often seemed like a team that didn't know what its identity was.
That change this offseason, as Nico Harrison had some very clear goals in mind with his roster construction. He embraced having two ball-dominant stars in Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, and he built a roster designed to play off of that central identity.
Here's a look at how all 15 players on the Mavericks roster stack up, ranking them from worst to best.
All 15 Mavericks Players Ranked
15. Joe Wieskamp
A second-round pick for the Spurs in 2021, Joe Wieskamp played just 205 minutes across 29 games for the Spurs as a rookie, and his NBA tenure last year was limited to a pair of 10-day contracts with the Toronto Raptors.
He was waived by Toronto after signing a reported multi-year contract this offseason, and the Mavs brought him on board to fill out the bench.
A 6-foot-6 wing player who has shot just 30.9% from 3-point range over his young career isn't exactly an exciting addition though, even as a depth piece. If he sees any significant playing time this year, that would probably mean the Mavs are in serious trouble.
14. Dante Exum
Dante Exum has obviously never lived up to the hype he received as a top-five pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, but he hasn't totally flamed out like some draft busts.
Exum made the graceful transition to accepting a bench role, and he's stayed sharp playing overseas for the last two seasons.
Most recently, he averaged 13.3 points, 2.8 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 22.9 points per game, shooting 42.4% from 3-point range in 2022-23 EuroLeague action for Partizan.
Back in the NBA, expect Exum to settle into an end-of-the-bench type role again with the Mavs in 2023.
13. Olivier-Maxence Prosper
The Mavs' second first-rounder in the 2023 draft, Olivier-Maxence Prosper is an interesting all-around prospect, but it could take some time to find his footing at the NBA level.
His college stats aren't going to wow anybody, but that's also not what his game is about. He's a versatile defender who moves off the ball and sets screens well on offense. His size, strength and athleticism give him a ton of upside and potential as a defender, and he finishes well at the basket.
The problem is that until he develops his game, he's something of a liability with the ball in his hands. He doesn't have a great dribble and isn't a real threat from 3-point range. I love OMP's potential, but he's got some work to do before he's a major contributor in Dallas.
12. Jaden Hardy
Jaden Hardy's 2022-23 campaign was a pretty encouraging one for a second-round rookie. He showed us why the Mavs traded a pair of picks to go get him.
He got limited run for most of the year, but averaged 8.8 points, 1.9 boards and 1.4 assists on 43.8% shooting (including 40.4% from 3-point range) in 14.8 minutes per game.
Hardy even earned five starts down the stretch, and he dropped 20-plus points in four of the five, showing he has plenty of offensive upside when given the chance.
If we were factory in potential to these rankings, rather than just looking at who is best right now, we’d certainly have Hardy higher up, but for now it's hard to justify putting him over the next guy, even if it's not a popular move.
11. Tim Hardaway Jr.
Tim Hardaway Jr. has been a popular pick to be gone from the Mavs' roster all offseason, though he's probably not quite as bad as he gets accused of being.
He's a streaky shooter who definitely disappears at times on offense, certainly. He's not an especially great defender, either. But he's certainly a rotation-level player, and I think a lot of the hate he gets is because fans would've rather seen Josh Green and Jaden Hardy getting his minutes.
You don't want THJ being one of the top players in your lineup, but he's also averaged 14-plus points per game for seven straight seasons now, and he's at least a high-effort defender who works hard to avoid being a total liability on that end.