Mavericks Must Find Immediate Contributor With 21st Pick

Dirk Nowitzki turns 37-years old this week, and as such, the Dallas Mavericks have the dial cranked all the way to “Win Now” mode in an attempt to get the franchise’s greatest player another roster capable of contending for an NBA Championship.

They’ve gone the free agency route, signing small forward Chandler Parsons away from the Houston Rockets to be another scorer to complement Nowitzki, and serve as part of the foundation for the post-Dirk era.

Dallas has also worked the phones, helping Tyson Chandler escape from New York and pulling the trigger on the deal in December to acquire Rajon Rondo.

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Now they must try find an immediate contributor via the draft with the 21st pick on June 25th.

This year’s Golden State Warriors (most recently) have shown the importance of having a deep bench, especially when you don’t have a guy named LeBron James on the roster.

The Mavericks reportedly have their eyes on some big fish this summer, and if they end up netting one Dallas’ first round selection becomes very important. Heck, it’s important even if the Mavericks don’t add a max contract to the books.

The Mavericks need contributors on the bench, and though it’s unrealistic to expect a rookie drafted two-thirds into the first round to play a large role in his first season he will need to be more than just a cheerleader. It’s why I’d prefer older, experienced players like Jerian Grant and Montrezl Harrell to Tyus Jones and Kevon Looney.

They might not have the potential upside of some of the other players available but very rarely does an eventual franchise cornerstone come that late in the first round. The Mavericks can’t be in the business of developing a 19-year old that could turn into something special a few years down the line, at least right now.

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