This Dallas Mavericks offseason cancels out the last few

The Dallas Mavericks have had an exciting offseason full of solid moves. In fact, the offseason has been so good overall, I think it can safely cancel out some of the last few poor offseasons the team has had.

It has been an emotional roller coaster being a Dallas Mavericks fan over the last 10-15 years. After the Mavs put together the big three of Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Michael FInley, it appeared that the team would be ready to start competing again. When Nash decided to leave the team before the 2004-05 season, people began to think all was lost once again. Then Finley left too.

By this time it was clear that Dirk would be a perennial All-Star for years to come. He would be the face of the franchise, but could he do it without Nash as his sidekick? The answer to that question came quickly when Dallas went to the NBA Finals the very next year. It was then that we all realized that the team could be great for years to come.

Fast-forward to 2011 and the Mavs had won their first title ever. The team was at the peak of the NBA for the first time in its 30+ years of existence and Mavs fans were at their highest of highs. Unfortunately, this would be followed by some of the most frustrating seasons in franchise history.

Not only did Dallas struggle to win any playoff games for the next 7 years, they also managed to find a way to lose out on just about every major free agent they were pursuing. If that wasn’t enough in itself, they also managed to strike out in pretty much every draft leading up to the Dennis Smith Jr. selection.

That all changed this summer.

Let’s go through the moves that made this summer great and why this summer could be enough to overlook years of disappointment during these months.

Luka Doncic – The rookie

The obvious choice that makes this summer so great was the Mavs first selection in the draft. Electing to trade up from the 5th spot to the 3rd spot with the Atlanta Hawks was a bit of a risk, but Dallas knew who they wanted and they went to get their guy. And the consensus opinion is that Dallas absolutely made the right decision.

Not only is Luka Doncic an incredibly talented player, he is also an amazingly accomplished player. With a EuroLeague championship and MVP under his belt, Doncic now joins the Mavs as the most accomplished European professional player to come to the NBA. And he is 19 years old.

Even if Dallas did nothing else this summer, Luka is looking to be the heir apparent for everyone’s favorite German when he decides to hang up the sneakers. This will likely be looked back at as one of the best moves in Dallas Mavericks history.

DeAndre Jordan – The big free agent

As far as big name signings in free agency, DeAndre Jordan may no longer be at the top of the list, but he does fit perfectly into the system that the Mavs run. Add that to the fact that he wants to be here and he took a one-year deal at 30 years old and this is a low-risk, high-reward situation if there’s ever been one.

This will be a great situation for the Mavs who have the perfect center for their team. There is no reason to believe that Jordan won’t do well in Dallas and I believe that we will all see that very quickly this season.

Jalen Brunson – The smart pick

Another great move the Mavericks made came at the start of the 2nd round of the draft. After winning his 2nd NCAA title and becoming one of the most accomplished college basketball players in recent history, Jalen Brunson entered the draft as an expected first round pick.

After falling way further than expected, the Mavs nabbed him with their first pick of the 2nd round and haven’t looked back since. With Dennis Smith Jr. slated as the future point guard of the team, Brunson will likely be the backup guard for years to come. He definitely has a shot at being the 6th man for Dallas going forward.

Ryan Broekhoff – The sharpshooter

One of my favorite additions for the Mavs this summer was the Australian sharpshooter, Ryan Broekhoff. Broekhoff is coming from the Russian VTB United League. He is an excellent three-point shooter that will find his way into the Mavs rotation simply for that purpose. And Dallas will be more than excited to see him there.

After Dallas lost three of their top long-ball shooters in Doug McDermott, Seth Curry and Yogi Ferrell, there were concerns that they wouldn’t have any three-point threats on the roster. That concern should be quelled by now as Broekhoff is ready to prove that he can take that spot as the three-point specialist.

The Dallas Mavericks made all the right moves this summer. So many good moves, in fact, that the previous summers can be all about the past. This season will further prove that the Mavs brass knew what they were doing when they made all of the necessary moves to assemble this team.