Five Thoughts on the Dallas Mavericks’ Free Agency

The Mavericks have had one of the best off-seasons in recent history. Here are a few thoughts on what went down.

This has been an eventful off-season for a Mavericks franchise that lately has been getting nothing but leftovers. Things have moved fast, so I wanted to talk about some of the signings, non-signings, and departures that have marked free agency so far.

Clint Capela wasn’t offered a contract.

I thought the Mavericks might offer Capela a max contract. I also thought there was a ninety percent chance the Rockets would match. Turns out, there’s not a lot of demand for him right now.

A core of Dennis Smith Jr., Luka Doncic, and Capela would be fun to see, but I’m not devastated. There are a lot of things Capela can do really well that fit with the way the league plays right now. There are, however, holes in his game, like his inability to create a shot for himself. So it’s possible Dallas dodged a bullet.

DeMarcus Cousins wasn’t offered a contract.

For years I hoped the Mavericks would somehow get Boogie to Dallas, but it never worked out. Now I’m glad it didn’t. He never matured like I thought he would, and now with his Achilles’ tendon injury, I thought he was a high-risk, low-reward player.

Also, he wouldn’t be the best fit for Rick Carlisle’s offense. He isn’t elite in the pick-and-roll. He’d also take the ball out of the hands of Smith and Doncic, playmakers who need reps to develop into superstars. The Mavericks made a smart move by not offering Cousins a contract.

DeAndre Jordan was signed to a one year deal.

As the calendar crept toward the start of free agency, it became fairly obvious the Mavericks were focused on Jordan. When a trade with the Clippers fell through and Jordan opted out of the final year of his contract, I thought for certain Dallas would have to sign him to a four-year deal. When he signed with the Mavericks for only one year, I couldn’t believe it.

I’m not sure why he did, other than Dallas had a lot of leverage. They were the only team with cap space and the desire to sign a center. I doubt if Jordan was getting a lot of attention from any other franchise. As far as why the Mavericks only wanted him for one year, I’m not sure.

There’s his age of course, but I don’t know why they wouldn’t do a two-year deal. Perhaps they wanted to retain as much flexibility as possible while still competing for the playoffs next season. Whatever the motive, Jordan for one year is the best possible option for the upcoming season.

Doug McDermott and Seth Curry were allowed to leave.

I’ve seen a lot of hand-wringing about the Mavericks allowing McDermott and Curry to leave. Some think Dallas will lack 3-point shooting with their departure. But there’s two things to consider.

First, Dirk Nowitzki, Wesley Matthews, Yogi Ferrell, J.J. Barea, and Harrison Barnes all shot at least 35 percent from behind the arc last season. Dwight Powell and Dennis Smith shot 33 percent and 31 percent, respectively, from three. There’s not a lack of shooting on this squad.

Secondly, the Mavericks aren’t competing for a championship next year. The team doesn’t have to be complete. This is the beginning of a rebuild. Dallas is adding pieces and being smart about it. There’s no need to overpay for complementary players at this stage. That will come later.

For what it’s worth, our own Lance Roberson makes a compelling case that the Mavericks not re-signing Curry was a mistake.

The Mid-Level Exception is still available.

The Mavericks don’t have to use it, but it’s still available. I’m not sure who they’d spend it on at this point, though. Most of the free agents still on the market would fetch much more than the MLE or could be acquired for minimum contracts. It might be best to just pass on handing out the exception this season. The only player I would have considered offering it to was Wayne Ellington, but he’s since re-signed with the Heat.

Next: Dallas Mavericks offseason is like Christmas in July

These are just a few thoughts from free agency that stuck out to me. All-in-all, it is pretty clear that Dallas capitalized on this summer in a big way.