Dallas Mavericks: Resetting the depth chart following the draft

Dallas Mavericks depth chart following the draft: Small forward

Starter: Josh Richardson

Richardson will be in the opening night starting five. His role will be to defend the opposition’s top perimeter scorer while spacing the floor for Luka Doncic and the Mavs number one offense. Richardson is a better playmaker than Tim Hardaway Jr. It would not be surprising to see him bring the ball up the floor on occasion and initiate the Mavs offense.

Backup: Delon Wright

Wright played almost exclusively off the ball at the end of last season. The Mavericks want to give Josh Green minutes to aid his development making Wright an obvious trade candidate. It would not be surprising to see Dallas ship him and Justin Jackson off before signing a combo forward in free agency.

Third-string: Justin Jackson

Jackson fell out of the rotation multiple times last season. He will struggle to get playing time in the final year of his rookie contract too. Jackson may be traded before the season starts, but do not expect a ton of minutes if he sticks with the team.

Two-way contracts: Tyler Bey & Nate Hinton

Bey is a combo forward where Hinton is more of a wing, but both players are known for their defense. The Mavericks will try to grow Bey and Hinton into 3-and-D options, and both players have plenty of upside.

Richardson should play 30-plus with the Mavericks. He and THJ will be the unquestioned starters with Green and Delon Wright filling minutes during the regular season barring a trade or signing that shakes up the Mavs wing rotation. Dorian Finney-Smith will slide down and play minutes at the three when the Mavericks are fully healthy too.

Next: Power forward