The Smoking Cuban
FanSided

Three options if Dallas Mavericks don’t land DeAndre Jordan

By Kohl Rast

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)
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) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 4: Brook Lopez #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers plays defense against Rudy Gay #22 of the San Antonio Spurs on April 4, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 4: Brook Lopez #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers plays defense against Rudy Gay #22 of the San Antonio Spurs on April 4, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Brook Lopez

This would be an interesting fit, but I like the idea of it at least on paper. Brook Lopez has long been considered a good player who does a few things really well. One of those things is shooting, which he is well above average at. The other happens to be blocking shots, which he has a history of doing reasonably well throughout his career.

The other reason I like the idea of Brook Lopez is for the chance that Dallas could add him on a short-term deal. Although he will likely want a long-term deal since he has now hit the ripe old age of 30, Lopez is coming off his worst statistical year of his career. If he can get a good year in with Dallas as the full-time starting center, maybe someone will be more interested in giving him a bigger deal.

I don’t think that Lopez really moves the needle for the Mavs overall, but he would be a good filler while the Mavericks try something new. This next season is not going to be the end-all-be-all for Dallas but it will be an important one to make sure that the draft pick they traded doesn’t hurt them as bad.

Brook Lopez also offers a stretch 5 option for the Mavs which would really help open things up for Luka Doncic and Dennis Smith Jr. With catch and shoot players on the outside, it would be really exciting to see what kind of damage those two can create on the inside. Lopez has some post game, but his midrange and three-point shooting are definitely the stronger side of his game.

The biggest issue with Lopez is that somehow our rebounding would probably go downhill. He has never been an excellent rebounder and that is largely because he is not an uber-athletic option. This should not be a deterrent though, if the Mavs are moving on to a backup plan.