Dallas Mavericks Team Review

 

2021-22 Finish: 25-57

 

Season Highlight:

Ohhh boy. Looking through the year that the Mavs had this is definitely one of the hardest things to speak about for the team. I�m not sure they have a particular highlight to speak of! They went into a new direction through the year after the walls began collapsing around them, which saw them bring in a bevvy of 1^st round picks and Brandon Ingram which could definitely have been a worse start to a new era, but on the whole the Mavs season was one of going down in flames of epic proportions.

 

Season Lowlight:

Conversely to the above topic, it�s hard to pick out a particular lowlight for the Mavs in a year that had so many lowlights that you�re spoiled for choice. Was it the Durant injury starting the year, which lead to a complete season fall down? Was it KP and KD simply not getting it done even when KD returned? Was it the moves, seeing KP out with multiple good rotation players AND a 1^st swap of Dallas for SA for Randle and nothing to speak of? Was it landing a bevvy of 1^st round picks that all are projected in the late 20s, for KD? Was it Terence Davis�more on this later. Or maybe it�s simply all rolled into one big 21/22 season lowlight, as a whole.

 

Best Trade:

Mavs send: Fred VanVleet
Mavs get: Malik Beasley, Kevon Looney, Toronto 2026 1^st and Dallas 2026 1st

The Mavs kicked off the year with a strong start on the move front. They had a surplus of guards and a lot of salary, which made Freddy expendable and they cashed in nicely getting a solid young guard, and nice rotational big and two 1sts down the road for him.

 

Worst Trade:

Mavs send: Elfrid Payton, Wayne Ellington and Dallas 2023 1^st
Mavs get: Terence Davis

This one is going down in in the history books for the ages with where the Mavs pick is projected. Now you could try and explain that away because of who the Mavs had on board and their current record and such�but no, they were near bottom of the West and already highly advertising a rebuild with KP and KD on the block. Payton and maybe a 2^nd for Davis is probably right about where it could have been at after Davis� rookie shine had worn off already, but the Dallas 2023 1^st that�s just as likely to be #1 next year is oh so ikky.

 

Other Notable Trades:

The KD trade is obviously one�but it has disappeared from all record so I can�t accurately report on it. However, the upshot was KD out, Ingram and picks in.

 

Mavs send: Victor Oladipo and 2024 2^nd
Mavs get: Jalen Brunson

Fairly straight forward one this. Similar level players, but more risk on Dipo, despite Brunson wishing for a payday end of year.

 

Mavs send: Chuma Okeke
Mavs get: JaeSean Tate and Pick 54

Another straight forward type of deal. Similar level players, higher upside in Okeke, so they land an extra pick on top.

 

Mavs send: Kristaps Porzingis, Patrick Mills, Kevon Looney and Dallas 2026 1^st
Mavs get: Julius Randle, Kemba Walker, JaMychal Green and SA 2026 1^st

This one would probably have been in the worst trade section had it not been for Terence. The player swap is arguably moot, though Zinger is typically the better player in 2k, and was having probably a better year than Randle�s down NBA year too. Mills is more reliable and maybe longer lived than Kemba at this time. And Looney is a rock solid younger big man. But, they then also probably move down 15+ spots in the 2026 draft, for the privilege of getting the worse package.

 

Free Agency:

The Mavs might just be up the creek a little this year looking at who they have to lose. Jalen Brunson headlines the class and did them no favours opting to sign elsewhere for big cash in the NBA. It leaves no signing bonus, and a salary cap headache on top of that if they get him to commit. Portis is next, but he at least is a easy stay, but will be getting a pay increase. Tate is a must return and will.

Jalen Brunson � UFA, no bonus, so all it needs is someone with cap space to want to make the play and bam, gone.

Bobby Portis � UFA, he resigned in the NBA so will get all the bonus here and signed above the Full MLE too, which means most other teams can�t go for him, and the Mavs can due to early Bird. He�ll be back.

JaeSean Tate � RFA, 100% return and a needed player.

 

Star:

Kevin Durant

Man, the roster has turned over A LOT. KD still has to be their star though. He only managed 37 games for the Mavs last year, which interestingly was 4^th most games started of any player for the Mavs last year, cause everyone was on a spin cycle. In those games he did his usual KD thing going for 35 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists 1 steal and 1.4 blocks per game on 57/43/96 splits and just demoralising everyone.

 

Flop:

Terence Davis

Funnily enough, the Mavs on paper had very few flops going by player stats. The wins just weren�t there. But there�s one thing that stands out above the rest. Just in case it wasn�t bad enough that this man might just cost them Wemby next draft, after making his way to Dallas he never suited up for them due to injury! Yes, the Dallas 2023 1^st man didn�t take the court. Might make it this year, but the team is rudderless and without much talent, and he�s also an expiring UFA end of year. Maybe he never does anything at all while that pick goes down in Utah folklore?

 

Draft Grades:

#10 � Mark Williams
#13 � Ousame Dieng
#15 � Nikola Jovic
#27 � Walker Kessler

For these picks, I gave grades of A, C, D+ and A, but might already be forced to rethink a few of these if the summer league and preseason is anything to go by (many suggest it�s not!). Williams I said was an A, and was/is a big need for the team, but they since got in Myles Turner which negated the big man need and means you drafted a raw guy who has shown every bit of being raw and lost so far, so maybe that grade drops. Dieng who looked raw as all hell, has shown some decent flashes in small time so far for the Thunder and with Chet going down might now have a more stable role as a rookie, so maybe that grade goes up. Jovic I thought was a very big reach, but he too has looked great so far so maybe I was too harsh here too. Kessler appears to still be about right, as he was a need, a faller, and doesn�t ever project as more than a role player which is fine for 27.

 

The Future:

The Mavs are kind of all future now. Hayward is their oldest player, by a number of years. If Cam Payne is your 2^nd oldest player, you know you�re young. But it is going to be a dark year in Dallas this year unless something odd happens and the team clicks. Last year they looked like a solid playoff team lining up KD and KP, but this year they probably line up Hayward, Turner. Portis and Tate�and have to wave goodbye to Brunson. I hope I�m wrong there, but it looks like it�s on the cards. How much does this team grow for the future though? Time will tell.

C: Myles Turner/Mark Williams/Walker Kessler
PF: Bobby Portis*/Cam Johnson/Rui Hachimura
SF: Gordon Hayward/Nikola Jovic/Ousmane Dieng
SG: JaeSean Tate/Kenrich Williams/Landry Shamet/Terence Davis
PG: Jalen Brunson*/Cameron Payne

*Pending FA