The Dallas Mavericks took a big step forward thanks in large part to a successful NBA offseason.
It’s safe to say that the Dallas Mavericks probably don’t want to replicate missing the playoffs again this season. After acquiring Kyrie Irving at the NBA Trade Deadline, falling down the standings and missing the playoffs entirely in the Western Conference was far from an ideal scenario. Nevertheless, the Mavs entered the offseason in hopes of changing the narrative for the team heading into 2023-24.
That’s exactly what they’ve accomplished. The Mavs are better. That’s not something that can be argued against. At least on paper, there’s nothing stopping Dallas from being a potential dark horse championship contender in the West. The question is, will the team be able to put it all together on the floor?
The Dallas Mavericks have the talent to compete for a championship
And with the talent that the Mavs have continued to compile during the offseason, along with the expected progression of some of their other young players, there will be no excuses for this team this season. The Mavs are going to be expected to finish as a top 4 seed. With Kyrie and Luka Doncic as your top-2, not finishing as a top-4 seed in either conference would be considered an understatement.
The team’s moves during the offseason have them in a great spot heading into training camp. Let’s take a look back at a few of the Mavs’ best and worst moves from the summer.
Best offseason moves made by Dallas Mavericks
Objectively, there likely aren’t many people that are going to argue that the Dallas Mavericks haven’t had a good offseason. It probably hasn’t been great, due to the lack of a big splash move, but it’s hard to sit here and argue that they haven’t improved their roster from last season.
The question is, will these moves be enough to help them make a return as a contender in the Western Conference? Let’s look at a couple of their better offseason moves.
Acquiring Grant Williams
You can’t praise the Mavs more than the move they made for Grant Williams. There may be people that aren’t entirely sold on Williams as a full-time starter but with how productive he was when given an opportunity in Boston, he deserved a shot to prove his worth. Dallas signed him to a four-year, $54 million deal. That’s fair.
All Grant needs to be is a versatile 3-and-D wing/big. If he can be that, this signing will end up being a huge win for the Mavs.
Signing Seth Curry
The signing of Seth Curry is such a small move that could end up paying huge dividends for the Mavs. He adds some depth to the backcourt and gives the team a little room for error heading into the season with Kyrie Irving on the roster.
He may not be a full-time starter in the league, but he’s good enough that he can still be a difference-maker in spurts. This was one of the better, underrated offseason moves made by any team.
Worst offseason moves made by Dallas Mavericks
The Mavs have had a pretty solid overall offseason. However, there were a couple of moves that could be second-guessed in the long run. Let’s look at both of those, with the first of which involving a decision made in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Drafting Dereck Lively II
While I love the potential that Dereck Lively II carries as a prospect coming out of Duke, there’s a very real chance that he simply isn’t ready to contribute at a high level for the Mavs this season. If that were to happen, it’s only natural to question the selection.
Dallas entered the offseason looking for players that could contribute and help elevate the supporting cast around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. I’m not really sure if Lively accomplishes that in the foreseeable future.
Kyrie Irving extension
This is probably something that goes back to the initial trade of Kyrie Irving but this is something that may not be as popular considering the context. The Mavs had to do it but hopefully, the three-year, $126 million contract extension doesn’t age poorly.
Kyrie is an extremely talented player. When he’s engaged and fully committed, Kyrie is one of the best players in the NBA. If that’s the player the Mavs can get over the course of the season, Dallas will certainly be improved this season. The problem is, that’s not a guarantee for Kyrie.