2 last-second free agents to complete Mavericks Western Conference takeover
By Lior Lampert
After an improbable run to the 2024 NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks will look to prove their march to the championship was no fluke.
Ultimately, Dallas' magical run came to a screeching halt against the Boston Celtics, who handily secured their 17th title in franchise history.
Frankly, the Mavs got outmanned and outclassed by the Celtics. Despite Dallas having arguably the two best players in the series, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Boston's depth was far superior.
So, the Mavericks front office got to work this offseason. They added young 3-and-D shooting guard Quentin Grimes as part of a salary dump trade that sent veteran Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Detroit Pistons. But most notably, Dallas poached four-time champion and all-time sharpshooter Klay Thompson from the Golden State Warriors.
Still, Dallas has holes on their roster that they didn't adequately address. First, they still lack a reliable backup point guard, even after reuniting with Spencer Dinwiddie. However, a more central issue is the team's frontcourt options behind P.J. Washington.
Maxi Kleber, Washington's current backup, has appeared in 59 or fewer regular-season games since the 2020-21 campaign. His health concerns and offensive limitations make him an uninspiring alternative. Meanwhile, Olivier-Maxence Prosper didn't look ready for a significant reserve role from the limited sample size of his rookie year.
Dallas can't get complacent if they want to win what projects to be a stacked Western Conference again. With that in mind, these two free agents stand out as moves the Mavs can make at the eleventh hour to bolster their chances of repeating.
2 last-second free agents to complete Mavericks Western Conference takeover
2. Markelle Fultz, Guard
Unfortunately, injuries deprived Markelle Fultz of what could've been a memorable career. After one outstanding year at the University of Washington, the combo guard was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Fultz has dealt with several tragic ailments, including a well-chronicled shoulder issue that hindered his jumpshot and confidence as a rookie. Since then, he's failed to regain his form, but he's found other ways to make an impact.
At 6-foot-4, 209 pounds, Fultz uses his frame and athleticism to thrive as a defender. He can guard multiple positions and do it well. Moreover, his 6-foot-9 wingspan allows him to be disruptive and clog up passing lanes.
Furthermore, Fultz is a solid distributor of the basketball, which would fill a more pressing need for the Mavs. As of this writing, Dinwiddie is presumably the floor general of Dallas' second unit. Nonetheless, the latter is more of a ball-dominant, score-first guard. Conversely, as demonstrated by his 4.6 career assists per game, the former can handle facilitator duties.
1. Isaac Okoro, Wing
Isaac Okoro comes with a couple of caveats as a potential Mavericks target:
- He's a restricted free agent.
- His size
Okoro and the Cleveland Cavaliers are in dragged-out contract negotiations that have gone on for months. Recent intel from ESPN's Brian Windhorst suggests no end in sight to the saga.
Cleveland has virtually all the leverage in their talks with Okoro because they can match any offer he receives/agrees to. Regardless, the Mavericks can swoop in to entice the Cavs with a sign-and-trade offer.
While the Mavs don't have the most appealing war chest of assets, they can enter the bidding for Okoro.
A bit of a tweener, Okoro's 6-foot-5 stature makes his prospective place in Dallas' lineup a question mark. But at this juncture, he's the best player on the market, making him a good addition regardless of fit.
Hypothetically, Dallas can deploy more small-ball lineups in their rotation to counteract the height problems. Over the past two seasons, Okoro has spent at least 73 percent of his minutes at the small forward spot. Doing so would enable them to slide Naji Marshall to the four.
2023-24 marked a breakout effort for Okoro. He averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting a career-best 39.1 percent from three on 3.1 nightly attempts. Like Fultz, his strong suit is on the defensive side of the court. Dallas' ability to make stops was their post-trade deadline identity last season, and it propelled them to win the West.
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