Mavericks Late Night: Don’t Be Afraid to Hold On to Wes

In another edition of Mavericks Late Night, the Dallas Mavericks are going to have to decide whether to hold onto the aging sharpshooter,  Wesley Matthews, or find a trade destination for him this summer. There is one big pro to keeping him though.

The Dallas Mavericks are in for a very interesting summer this year. From changing their normal path of finding solid veterans on the free agency market to searching for young players to build around the already young core of the Mavs team from this year, this will just be one that the Mavs are not used to.

One of the old souls for the Dallas Mavericks right now is 30-year old Wesley Matthews. Matthews has played the last two seasons with the Mavs where he has been fairly underwhelming for the most part. Aside from the occasional hot streak, Wes has really never been himself since putting on the blue and white of Dallas.

Due to his dropping shooting percentage and obvious loss of a step or two from before his major injury, it is no surprise that some people are ready to call it quits on the 3-D specialist. Especially considering the fact that the young Mavs core of the future averages between the age of 24 and 25, it is important to realize that this team is going to want to build together for years.

I believe in one way though, that Wesley Matthews should stay with the Mavericks and the team should be ecstatic to keep him. That one way, however, is one that has been talked about for years in Dallas, but one we almost never get.

Dallas Mavericks

Loyalty is the reason.

When Matthews signed with the Dallas Mavericks initially, it was amongst talks of a bright future for the team and an opportunity for the Mavs to add a couple players with some star potential. One of those players followed through and one didn’t. The importance of this carried on for Dallas.

In the past, the Mavs have had a lot of trouble getting big names to even consider coming to town. Now, even though Wes may not be the biggest name, he is our one shining example that Dallas is capable of landing a star in the league through free agency. That has to count for something.

Then there is the fact that Wes made Dallas his home right away. When he knew that this was the place for him, he was quick to be thankful of the Mavericks organization and tell Dallas that he is here for the long haul. After many of our failed trades in the past, this was something that was really important for Mavs fans and he earned a lot of respect right then and there.

And he deserved every ounce of it.

Next: Dallas Mavericks: Is the NBA’s Definition of Old Changing?

Obviously the Dallas Mavericks are going to do what is best for the team this summer, but if you are one of the few who agree that it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to hold onto Matthews, don’t feel discouraged. You’re not alone.