Five restricted free agents for the Dallas Mavericks to target

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OAKLAND, CA – MAY 26: Clint Capela #15 of the Houston Rockets looks to pass against Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors during Game Six of the Western Conference Finals in the 2018 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on May 26, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Clint Capela

The top name on my list should not come as a surprise to anyone. I believe that Clint Capela is not only the best player in the restricted free agent class, he is also on his way to being one of the best centers in the league. His ability to alter the game on the defensive side of the ball and on the glass cannot be overstated.

Capela’s offensive game is also coming along. He averaged almost 14 points per game this season to go along with his 10.8 rebounds and nearly 2 blocks. His fit in the Houston offense made a lot of sense and he caught a lot of lobs from people floating out to Chris Paul/James Harden, but he could easily fulfill the same role in Dallas where the alley-oop is still a big part of the system.

An even bigger draw to Capela has to be his age. If Dallas were to land the big man from Houston, the Mavs four core players would be aged 19, 20, 24, and 26. I’m no expert, but that would give the Mavs some serious potential growth among the four.

If Dallas is able to sign Capela for multiple years, the Mavs would be adding another important building block for the future of the team. Even though it would tie us up in cap a little bit, the team would still be opening up more cap space in the following year when Wes Matthews, JJ Barea, and Dirk Nowitzki will all be off contract. This could be close to another max deal available.

Even if Dallas can’t get Capela, I think he is the type of player they should be targeting this free agency. The Mavs should offer him the money that they see fit and, if Houston matches, move on and find someone new. But we should not allow the assumption of Houston matching to overrule our decision to make an offer.