Draft Outlook
Luka Doncic needs a secondary ballhandler capable of creating, better perimeter defenders around him and a legitimate center that can contribute on both sides of the ball. The roster as currently constructed consists of too many specialists, leaving Dallas overly reliant on Doncic’s eye-popping production, which vanishes when he’s off the floor. Complicating matters is the team doesn’t have any draft picks due to trades to acquire Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway Jr. and JJ Redick. The Mavericks just hired a new coach and general manager after the departures of Rick Carlisle and Donnie Nelson, and they’ve got to hit the ground running for what will be a pivotal offseason in Dallas.
A Stat That Matters
39.1% — Doncic had a usage rate of 39.1% in the playoffs, the highest mark for a player with at least 200 playoff minutes in the 25 years for which we have play-by-play data.
The Way To Go
It’s difficult to know at this point since Dallas doesn’t own a pick, but perhaps the club makes a trade that would allow it to get back into the Draft. A move for Florida point guard Tre Mann would make sense because of his versatility to play on and off the ball and his ability as a scorer and creator.
Under Contract
G: Jalen Brunson
G: Trey Burke
G Josh Green
G: Tyrell Terry
G/F: Luka Doncic
F: Dorian Finney-Smith
F: Maxi Kleber
F/C: Kristaps Porzingis
F/C: Dwight Powell
Free Agents
G: JJ Redick (unrestricted)
G: Josh Richardson (player option)
G/F: Tim Hardaway Jr. (unrestricted)
G/F: Nate Hinton (restricted)
F: Tyler Bey (restricted)
F: Nicolo Melli (restricted)
C: Willie Cauley-Stein (team option)
C: Boban Marjanovic (unrestricted)
> 2021 Free Agent Tracker
Last Year’s Draft
2020: Josh Green (18), Tyrell Terry (31), Tyler Bey (36)
— Michael C. Wright