Who can the Dallas Mavericks add in the offseason other than Kyrie Irving or Draymond Green?
The Dallas Mavericks' first order of business when free agency opens on June 30 will be negotiating the terms of Kyrie Irving's next contract. Irving could always balk at the last second, but all signs point toward the controversial All-Star continuing his partnership with Luka Doncic for the foreseeable future.
Draymond Green has also been tossed around as a potential target for the Mavs, but with no available cap space it would require a sign-and-trade. The Warriors have no incentive to trade Green to Dallas unless he can credibly threaten to leave for nothing, meaning another team with cap space (Houston, Sacramento, San Antonio) would have to get in the mix too.
Let's call a spade a spade: the Mavs aren't going to sign Draymond. That's just noise. Dallas will, however, look to flesh out the roster around Doncic and Irving with free agents and trades.
According to CBAMavs of Mavs Moneyball, Dallas will have the non-taxpayer's mid-level exception (worth a shade over $12 million) if Irving takes a discount on his next deal. A proposed extension of four years, $179.2 million — as opposed to the maximum possible contract value of four years, $213.3 million — would give Dallas that flexibility.
Since Irving's market is virtually zero, one has to imagine he won't get literal top dollar. Here are three players Dallas can get to complement him, Doncic, and the rest of the core.
No. 3 player Dallas Mavericks can add: Jakob Poeltl
With NBA teams frantically reorganizing the books in advance of the new collective bargaining agreement, players like Jakob Poeltl could suffer a more barren free agency market than expected. The Raptors want to keep Poeltl after trading assets to acquire him in February, but ultimately the decision rests with Poeltl.
If the Raptors don't significantly outbid Dallas' mid-level exception, Poeltl could be tempted by the perceived upside of partnering with the Mavs' high-octane backcourt. Poeltl is a burly interior finisher who would be empowered by the pick-and-roll creation of Doncic and Irving. In Toronto, the offensive fit is far more muddled.
The Mavs spent their lottery pick on a 7-foot rim protector in Dereck Lively II, but teenagers are seldom ready to anchor playoff-level defenses in year one. The Mavs have the talent to win a lot of games; Poeltl gives them rim protection and defensive awareness in the middle that was sorely lacking last season.
Poeltl is worth more than the mid-level exception, but we've arrived at the point where drop coverage bigs who don't space the floor (or shoot free throws in Poeltl's case) simply aren't going to get top dollar. This would be a huge win for Dallas.
No. 2 player Dallas Mavericks can add: Paul Reed
Paul Reed enters restricted free agency after three years as Philadelphia's on-and-off backup to Joel Embiid. The Sixers didn't always trust Reed in the regular season, but he won over Doc Rivers in time to anchor the second unit in two straight playoff runs. If the Mavs strike out on Poeltl, Reed is worth a gander.
The Mavs can probably outbid Philadelphia for Reed's services if determined enough. Reed may not win over Jason Kidd with his decision-making, but nobody works harder. Reed is an absolute force of will on the defensive end. He ravenously competes for rebounds and he takes every isolation matchup personally. He creates so many turnovers and generates so many second chances by simply out-hustling everybody else.
Reed feels like tremendous potential value for any team, but the Mavs have a bigger hole than most in the middle. Reed is slightly undersized, but he's mobile in space and capable of switching on the perimeter. He's a nice yin to Dereck Lively's yang at the 5 spot. The Mavs need to be able to go smaller once the playoffs hit. Reed has been aces in the postseason for two years running.
The offensive development for Reed has been rocky at times, but he's an obvious talent. He struggles to play within himself, often venturing into uncharted waters as a driver and self-creator, but the Mavs can place him in an environment to focus on screen-setting and simple finishes while Doncic and Irving spoon-feed him at the rim. Some of his finesse finishes in the paint are eye-popping and he tries some brave passes. There's untapped upside for a team that can give Reed a more expansive role.
No. 1 player Dallas Mavericks can add: Dillon Brooks
The 2023 NBA playoffs were not great for Dillon Brooks' reputation, but at this point public opinion has probably shifted too far in the wrong direction. Brooks is not perfect by any stretch, but he made the All-Defensive team for a reason and he can absolutely help a team win games.
Dallas was one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA last season, especially after trading Dorian Finney-Smith at the deadline. Adding Brooks' kinetic energy and relentless effort to the wing rotation would help immensely. Brooks is capable of digging in and stopping the league's best players at the point of attack. He shouldn't have smack-talked LeBron, but Brooks walks the walk on defense more often than not. His strength and anticipation skills are next level.
The offensive fit is murkier. Brooks loves to dribble into contested jumpers he has no business taking, but there were times where Memphis really needed him to operate as a secondary shot-creator and source of halfcourt offense. That won't really be the case in Dallas with Doncic and Irving running the show. Brooks can focus on spot-up 3s and backdoor cuts.
Brooks is generally a below-average 3-point shooter but he averaged 6.0 attempts per game last season, so the volume is there. He could increase that volume even more with smarter shot selection in Dallas. His 49.4 TS% is ghastly, but the Mavs are better positioned than most teams to get the most out of Brooks' strengths while mitigating his weaknesses. Plus, Dallas just needs some fighters. Brooks fights.