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That outsider Keep your focus on getting another All-Star player to add to the company Luke Doncic after tacit approval by the trade Kristaps Porzingis in February that he was not the right man, sources tell veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein. The Mavs won’t have room for a salary cap to directly sign a player of this caliber anytime soon. So if they’re trying to acquire a star this summer, it’ll probably have to be done through trade.
Dallas has been linked jazz tall man Rudy Gobert, but according to Stein’s sources, the Mavs’ interest in the three-time Defensive Player of the Year has been overdone. As Stein explains, the team knows they need to improve their rim protection and rebound, but have had success this postseason with a five-out approach and will likely pursue a “more cost-effective” option at center.
according to stone, cops guard Zach Lavine is a potential target intriguing the Mavericks, who seem to like the idea of adding another wing slasher and goalscorer, especially after seeing how effective he is Spencer Dinwiddie was alongside Doncic this season.
However, LaVine is a free agent this summer and it would be a challenge for the Mavs to sign and trade for him and step back Jalen Brunsonas team salaries would be well above the projected tax skirt – any club that signs and trades a player will be tightly capped on the run-up for the remainder of this league year. If acquiring LaVine isn’t realistic, Dallas will likely move to other options on the wing, Stein says.
Here’s more about the Mavs, whose season ended Thursday at Golden State:
- President of the basketball department Nico Harrison downplayed the need to bring in another all-star caliber player. “There are teams … they have a bunch of All-Stars and they sat at home and watched us play.” Harrison said during his season-ending press conference on Friday (Twitter link via Callie Caplan from The Dallas Morning News). “Yeah, you need to keep improving the roster, but I don’t think it’s just about getting a bunch of All-Stars. It’s about finding people who fit.”
- Harrison said that the re-signing Jalen Brunson will be the Mavericks’ “top priority” this offseason (Twitter link via Michael Scotto from HoopsHype). “We want to sign him again. He knows it,” Harrison said. “We want him back. He will be a big part of our future.” Mavs owner Mark Cuban also spoke about the team’s desire to keep Brunson, as we outlined earlier today.
- As shared by Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, the Cuban admitted he didn’t know what to expect entering the 2021-22 season after the team went through front office and coaching changes. He was pleased to see the Mavs establish an identity over the course of the year. “Played hard. Physically. Multi-talented, able to complement Luka,” Cuban said when describing the type of player that fits that identity. “Knowing how to play with Luka. That’s probably number one. But yes, you saw how we played it. boys like Reggie Bullock. Spencer got it when he came. Davis Bertans. (Dorian Finney Smith). Dwight (Powell). All. There isn’t anyone you can name that hasn’t played as hard as they can and knew their part.”
- An Eastern Conference executive who spoke to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon believes the Mavericks are “a player away” from being a legitimate title contender. According to MacMahon, that sentiment is shared by other rival coaches, executives and scouts he’s spoken to about Dallas’ prospects. For his part, Doncic said after Thursday’s loss that he felt the Mavs were “on a great, great path.”
- ESPN’s Bobby Marks (insider link) and HoopsHype’s Yossi Gozlan have posted their offseason previews for the Mavericks, while Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus and SI.com’s Chris Mannix and Howard Beck also take a closer look at the team’s future roster situation have thrown.
