Roundtable: Dallas Mavericks GM For a Day

Sam Casey

If I were the GM of the Mavs this summer I would intensely focus on 5 things:

1) Aggressively pursue Mike Conley. Conley is my favorite big name free agent on the market, and I think the Mavs have a pretty decent shot at bringing him in. Dallas hasn’t had an elite PG since Steve Nash, and I imagine that, more than any other position, Carlisle can really unleash some new ideas with a star point guard as versatile as Conley. If I am the GM of the Mavericks, that is priority numero uno this offseason.

2) Find a solid answer at Center. I know this is kind of vague, but frankly there are so many good options for big men this offseason that I don’t really care which direction we go. There is a plethora of free agents the Mavs could pursue, and most of them would be an upgrade from our current status.

If I could land Howard, Whiteside, Drummond, or Horford that would be excellent; but the more likely scenario is that we get a decent or up and coming big man looking to prove himself. The likes of Bismack Biyombo, Joakim Noah, or Festus Ezeli would be my main goal. Its also worth noting that if Salah Mejri continues to improve then he could potentially be a long term answer, but I don’t see that happening.

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3) I wouldn’t overpay for Chandler Parsons. Parsons is a great shooter and scorer who can rebound and has the potential to be an elite scorer in the NBA. That being said, he also is a below average defender and has a long injury history. I don’t believe he’s earned a huge contract, and until he does I wouldn’t give it to him.

If I were GM, I would sit down with Parsons and explain that he won’t get a raise until he’s earned it, and that we could revisit the issue if he earns a bigger pay check next season by being healthy all season and playing consistently well. If Parsons leaves for bigger money, than so be it. I believe in Justin Anderson and think he will be a future starter and great Maverick, and in the mean time I would sign a veteran for half of the cost.

4) I would find Dirk’s potential replacement in the draft. On the current Mavs roster, Dirks back-ups are Dwight Powell and Charlie Villanueva. Powell has shined at times, however we still need help at the 4 position after Dirk is gone. Nowitzki is still the best player on the Mavs roster in my opinion, but he won’t be around too much longer. That being said, I would be proactive and start developing his replacement.

Finding starters in the second round of the draft, or even significant impact players, isn’t likely. If we could find the next great Maverick in this years draft, that’d be great, but it won’t happen in all likelihood. However, I would draft a project power forward with lots of potential who could develop for a couple years behind the tutelage of Carlisle, Dirk, and others. I’m not sure who that player is per say, but that is the type of talent I would draft.

5) Resign Raymond Felton. If you look at last years surprising season for the Mavs, I believe Raymond Felton was the second most valuable player (after Dirk, obviously) on the team. He can play multiple positions and is a great late-game player. Felton will be tough to resign as he will be sought after by many teams needing his particular skills, but he is well worth the price.

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