NBA: Filling out our 2019 free agency superlatives
By Ethan Becker
The unforeseen, huge contract extension: JJ Barea, Dallas Mavericks
I’ve talked about JJ Barea before, and what I said then applies here. Making the assumption that Kristaps Porzingis decides to sign with Dallas, and that he is healthy enough to play in at least part of the season, the Dallas Mavericks are going to need some key veteran leadership; not just for team morale, but also for on-court productivity.
They need someone who will be able to play a key role in their system, and Barea seems like the perfect fit.
As of now, there aren’t any rumors of JJ Barea wanting to go anywhere else, and you have to imagine the Dallas likes it that way. But the chance the Mark Cuban will dig deep into the team’s checkbook and give the seasoned vet a big payday to keep him happy isn’t out of the question and might be a good move.
We saw this with Mike Conley a few years ago, and he proved to be worth every penny they paid for him, as he averaged 21 points and six assists a game last year with a PER of 21.46. Sure, the Grizzlies haven’t been a top-notch team since then, but I don’t think that’s due in any part to the contract they gave Conley.
If the Mavs were to give Barea a similar contract, it would probably see him end his career in the blue and white, something a lot of Mav fans want to see.