How the 2018 NBA Draft Will Impact Free Agency Plans for Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks need all the talent they can obtain this summer, but who they get in the 2018 NBA Draft could determine free agency plans.

The summer of 2018 will be remembered in Dallas for a very long time.

The Mavericks are crawling to the finish line of the regular season as the franchise is lining up for a pick in the top five of the draft. Dennis Smith Jr. is continuing to grow in his rookie season while Dirk Nowitzki ponders whether to come back for his 21st season in the league.

On top of that, Dallas is one of a handful of teams slated to have over $20 million in cap space this summer.

As Mavericks GM, Donnie Nelson said, it is a summer to add a couple of building blocks for the future.

“The flexibility that we have today with the picks and Doug and the flexibility moving forward I think there is a real opportunity for us to be active in the free agency market this summer and add maybe another building block or two,” Nelson said at his press conference after the trade deadline back in February.

But the order of events this summer will have a lot to do with how things play out over the course of two months.

First, is the player option of Wesley Matthews worth $18.6 million that is to be decided on a day before the NBA Draft. With his recent injury and entering the back half of his career, this is all but certain to be picked up.

Then you have the NBA Draft, which could have some HUGE implications on free agency plans in July.

Let’s walk through some scenarios.

-What if the Mavericks win the lottery in May and select Luka Doncic with the first overall pick in the draft? You have to assume the Mavericks won’t chase a wing free agent in this situation, but would that effect their pursuit of like Julius Randle or Jabari Parker?

If Doncic or even Mikal Bridges is the pick, then you have to assume finding a center in free agency would be the main priority.

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-What if the Mavericks end up with Marvin Bagley III or Michael Porter Jr. on draft night? This would all, but solidify their starting four spot for the future and immediately change some free agent targets.

For the price tag that Jabari Parker, Julius Randle and Aaron Gordon will cost this summer, you have to assume Dallas would bypass that offer sheet unless they believe one of them can play the center spot alongside the draft pick.

In this situation, finding a center in free agency would be huge for the Mavericks to fit alongside Bagley III or Porter Jr.

-What if Dallas lands DeAndre Ayton, Mohamed Bamba, Jaren Jackson Jr. or another center in the draft, how would that shake offseason free agency plans up?

If Dallas truly does have plans to pursue DeMarcus Cousins, would landing someone like Jackson Jr. change those plans? Would they try to play them together or bring Jackson Jr. off the bench?

Landing a center in the draft would pair up perfectly for the pursuit of Randle, Parker, or Gordon as then they would fit directly into the starting lineup for the future.

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Either way, it is safe to say that Dallas has their options and different routes mapped out heading into free agency based off what they get on draft night. They could go anywhere on draft night, but in free agency, I don’t think it is that simple.