Mavs dream free agent is finally off the board in most predictable fashion

The Dallas Mavericks might've been the No. 5 seed in a loaded Western Conference last season, but against all odds, they made a run all the way to the NBA Finals. Sure, they got beaten handily by the Boston Celtics and their absurd depth, but just getting there was a huge accomplishment for Luka Doncic and Co.

The Mavs followed up that outstanding run by making three major offseason moves. First, they signed Naji Marshall to a three-year deal. Next, they shipped Tim Hardaway out in a trade and received Quentin Grimes. Third, they executed a sign-and-trade with the Golden State Warriors, netting Klay Thompson, giving Doncic one of the best shooters in NBA history to play with.

There was a theme with all of those moves. Thompson might not be the defensive ace he once was, but he isn't exactly a liability on that end. Grimes might not be the shooter Thompson is, but he can really defend and might improve as a shooter with more space in Dallas. Marshall is as underrated of a 3-and-D rotational player as there is in the NBA.

3-and-D wings are as valuable as ever, and the Mavericks are loaded with them. They had a chance to add another strong one in Isaac Okoro, but that last-second dream evaporated on Saturday as the Auburn product re-signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Mavericks miss out on dream free agent, Isaac Okoro

The Mavericks' chances of landing Okoro were slim at best. A lot of things would've had to work in their favor.

First, Okoro would've had to want to come to Dallas. It wouldn't be too hard of a sell to get someone to join the reigning Western Conference champions, but still, his approval would be needed. Second, since Okoro was a restricted free agent, the Cavaliers would've had a chance to match whatever deal they agreed to. Even if Okoro had wanted to come to Dallas, the decision would've ultimately been in the Cavs' hands.

Finally, since Dallas does not have cap space, they would've had to work out a sign and trade with Cleveland just to be able to afford Okoro. They could've made it work, but that's another wrinkle that Cleveland would've had to accept.

All of these factors being in place is why it was never likely that Okoro would've ended up in Dallas and why the 23-year-old re-signing in Cleveland was predictable.

Still, this is a miss for Dallas. Okoro is coming off his best season in which he averaged 9.4 points per game on 49.0/39.1/67.9 splits. Adding an efficient shooter like Okoro who can really defend to this Mavericks team would've not only given Doncic even more room to operate but could've allowed Okoro to really break out.

Unfortunately, the move that was expected to be made all offseason, finally just transpired.