The Dallas Mavericks have built their team to contend for an NBA championship.
That’s exactly what they ended up doing.
They entered the playoffs as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference and still managed to come out on that side of the playoffs and make their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011. This season was a resounding success, even though it might not be. immediately after their championship round loss to the Boston Celtics.
That said, the primary goal of winning an NBA title — which the Mavs have already paid a significant long-term price in pursuing — has yet to be achieved. So it’s back to the drawing board for Dallas decision-makers, who don’t have a ton of trade assets but need to maximize their value while searching for this team’s missing pieces.
The Mavericks have barked that tree before, having signed Matisse Thybulle to an offer sheet last offseason only to see the Trail Blazers. match. The same things that attracted Dallas to Thybulle back then should still interest him now.
The Mavs need more defense. And that’s right, Derrick Jones Jr. is re-signing as a free agent.
This team defended in fits and starts this season, but once the curtain came down, they remained unforgettable. 18th in defensive efficiency, according to NBA.com. Given that NBA history has largely shown that you need a top-10 finish on both sides to compete for the crown, Dallas’ defense still has another level to reach.
Getting Thybulle would immediately bolster the Mavs’ point coverage and defensive game (career 2.6 steals and 1.4 blocks per 36 minutes, according to Basketball-Reference) would increase the club’s chances of transition. Better yet, he has a chance to make enough shots to stay alongside Dallas’ stars, having converted 35.4 percent of his long-range shots over the past two seasons.
In February 2023, the Mavericks had to sacrifice Dorian Finney-Smith as part of the trade package used to acquire Irving. When Finney-Smith returned to Dallas as a visitor in October, Dončić was already trying to talk about a reunion.
It could happen sooner rather than later. The Nets may not be rebuilding — they probably would be if they controlled their own draft picks — but they’re not close to competing for anything substantial. So if they have the opportunity to turn a roleplaying veteran into a real asset or two, that’s something they’ll have to consider.
If so, Dallas should go for the chase.
Finney-Smith’s three-and-D game is exactly what the Mavericks need alongside their net-shredding stars. He can handle virtually any defensive assignment given to him, and while his shooting has declined a bit (34.3% over the last two seasons), it could come back to life thanks to the quality of the looks created by Irving and Dončić .
While Irving and Dončić were nothing short of magical this season, the same cannot be said for the Mavericks offense. It was good, but not terribly great (eighth in efficiency).
Adding Bogdan Bogdanović to the mix could take them to that elite level.
The 31-year-old could provide more consistent scoring off the bench than Tim Hardaway Jr. and a deeper offensive arsenal than anyone currently surrounding his stars. Having Bogdanović as the sixth man who has a spot in the final group would mean this offense could continue to hum when the stars sit back and reach the peak of their powers in the game’s biggest moments.
With the Hawks likely to make some serious upsets this summer, Bogdanović hardly feels out of reach. If the Mavericks could sell them on Hardaway’s expiring contract and an asset or two, this could be the realistic offseason move that pushes their cap to the highest.
