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*hoto via NBA.com
The 2015 offseason, highlighted by DeAndre Jordan, will be one that Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks will want to forget. After the Mavs lost an incredible emoji battle for Jordan’s services, they inked guards Wes Matthews (4YR/$70MM), J.J. Barea (4YR/$16MM), Deron Williams (2YR/$11MM) and brought in center Zaza Pachulia (1YR/5.2MM).
A midseason trade for Rajon Rondo turned out to be a disaster for Dallas, who gave away a first round pick, Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder and Jameer Nelson, for trade headliner Rondo and Dwight Powell. Rondo is now in Sacramento after being a five month rental for Dallas. The Mavs kept their 2015 first rounder in the Rondo deal, but now owes the Boston Celtics a top-7 protected pick from 2016 through 2020. Cuban got out sharked.
That aforementioned 2015 first round pick was used to select former UVA swingman Justin Anderson. In the last 15 years, the Mavs have had just eight first round picks, and have only had success with one, Josh Howard (2003). Of course, Justin Anderson’s career hasn’t gotten started, but Dallas isn’t an organization who finds gems in the draft.
Along with not signing DeAndre Jordan, Dallas failed to re-sign championship center, Tyson Chandler, and fringe All-Star guard, Monta Ellis. With an already loaded Western Conference, the Mavericks will be lucky to find themselves in the postseason in 2016. With their new roster, Dallas will most likely avoid being one of the seven worst teams in the league and keep their 2016 first round pick.
*Photo via Mavs.com
Dallas will have plenty of cap space next season to make a splash. However, Cuban has had plenty of space the past three seasons to find a superstar, and instead, has brought in Chandler Parsons and Wes Matthews. With Dallas’ franchise cornerstone in Dirk Nowitzki battling father time (he’ll be 38 this season), Parsons returning from a knee procedure, Wes Matthews recovering from a ruptured Achilles and Deron Williams battling demons sheltered in his beard, the Mavericks look to be slowing down. To add insult to Dallas’ multitude of injuries, Parsons ($16MM), Nowitzki ($8.7MM) and Williams ($5.6MM) all have player options next summer and the Mavs face the possibility of more player turnover.
It’s hard to believe the Dallas Mavericks were NBA champions just 4 seasons ago. With an aging Dirk, inability to land big free agents, inability to draft well and a high roster turnover rate, the Dallas Mavericks definitely belong in the Lone Star State and as one of the worst teams in our NBA future power rankings.
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Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com, NBA.com and ESPN.com
Transaction information courtesy of RealGM, NBA.com