#Dallas mavericks roster moves upgrade

One of his best defensive stretches was the 2020 bubble, which coincided with the best physical conditioning he’s maybe ever had. I see Dončić’s defensive competency as something directly tied to his conditioning. asks, “Will Luka ever improve defensively?” (My perception is that there was a wide range of opinions within the Mavericks’ organization about Ayton and how he would perform here.) But unless Phoenix has renewed interest in trading Ayton far below his potential trade value, which to my understanding was the primary reason the team decided not to deal him, I can’t see him ending up in Dallas, even at a later point. As a pure talent upgrade, it made sense even with Ayton’s uncertain fit. I’m not sure Phoenix seriously considered the reported package - Hardaway, Holmes and JaVale McGee, per Marc Stein - and I’m not sure Dallas would have been willing to offer more. Yes, the Phoenix Suns decided not to trade him. But Capela isn’t moving the needle enough on next season’s team, I don’t believe, to consider trading anything of significance for a stopgap solution who turns 30 next year. If Atlanta softens its stance, maybe it’s something to consider. But one of the first things the Dallas front office did this offseason was talk to the Atlanta Hawks about trades involving him, and what the Hawks wanted in return was considered far too much.

#Dallas mavericks roster moves upgrade

The only potential upgrade that still seems feasible, if unlikely, is Clint Capela. You hope Lively can force his way into real minutes in the season’s second half, something that would be beneficial for everyone involved - for Dončić’s pick-and-rolls, for the front office’s future plans and, of course, for Lively himself. There’s nothing glamorous about a Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber and Richaun Holmes platoon, but it’s a functional center trio that gives time for Dereck Lively II’s development. To me, it doesn’t make sense for the Mavericks to pursue another center at this point. Unless that center is Bam Adebayo or Anthony Davis, no - for the reasons stated above. asks, “Do you think the Mavs need to upgrade the center position before the start of the season to honestly be considered a serious contender this year?” The moves meant to turn the Mavericks into title contenders haven’t happened yet, and they probably can’t until next summer.Īdam F. But it was more about cleaning up past mistakes and bringing competency back to Dallas. This summer was necessary to reset Dallas’ maneuverability and make sure this flailing roster wouldn’t suffer embarrassment again as it did last year. The difference, of course, is that Dallas has better avenues to acquire such players after this summer as the team’s draft capital resets and its youngsters - twice as many as before - continue to develop. He’s a great signing that fits an immediate area of need, but Dallas needs more players like him. Who is Dallas’ third-best player behind Dončić and Kyrie Irving: Williams? Josh Green making a fourth-year jump? Somehow still Tim Hardaway Jr.? Williams was the Boston Celtics’ seventh- or eighth-most important player in their deep postseason runs the past two seasons. The Mavericks still have the same problem they’ve had for years: The players would be better suited if they were one or two spots lower in the rotation. Dante Exum is a worthwhile flier to take. I’m curious about Seth Curry’s fit, but you cannot argue that his contract (it’s even non-guaranteed in the second year!) might have value further on. But it’s a success to end up with two promising prospects in the draft, another center for the rotation, a clear starter in Grant Williams through sign-and-trade, and a couple of second-round picks after Dallas had exhausted nearly all of them. These offseasons and trade deadlines are all interconnected. Another subscriber asked me to grade the team’s summer, which is hard. Taking a positive step toward accruing such players and picks was the ideal scenario.ĭallas did that. We all know well how few resources and pieces of value the Mavericks had available to them. But Dallas wasn’t expected to build a title-contending roster from the fiery ruins of last year’s team that failed to even make the postseason. I don’t mean any disrespect to your question, Terry! Every team’s goal is title contention, and every season, especially for a team with a superstar like Luka Dončić, begins with whether contention is realistic or not.

I assume this question is meant in an “are they title contenders?” manner, and I don’t think that’s the right premise. Note that some questions have been slightly edited and reduced for clarity. There’s still time to ask more questions if you have ones you want answered. I asked for questions here, and I’ll answer another installment of them next week.