Dallas Mavericks: 5 free agents that could improve their roster

Free agent to upgrade Dallas Mavericks roster: 3. DeMarre Carroll

DeMarre Carroll will provide more immediate help for the Mavs than the previous two entries. With how valuable 3-and-D wings have become, it’s a little surprising that the 11-year vet is still a free agent. Carroll’s reputation could earn him another contract soon, so Dallas shouldn’t hesitate to give him a shot.

His defense has noticeably dropped off since his stellar 2015 season with the Hawks. Even with the regression, Carroll’s size and instinct would still make him one of the better defenders on the Mavericks. At nearly 6’7, he would present one of the best options for Carlisle to throw at the bigger wings in the league.

In the twilight of his career, Carroll’s shooting numbers also started to fall. He has failed to match his 39 percent mark set in 2015, but he’s still not a bad shooter. Aside from 2019-2020, when he played sparingly for two different teams, he hasn’t dipped below 34 percent for a season.

Regress could be tied to his surroundings rather than a condemnation of where he is as a player at this point in his career. Since that season with the Hawks, Carroll has played for the Raptors, a middling Nets team, a mismatched Spurs squad, and a Rockets experiment that rolled him out at center.

If Carroll can recapture some of the success he experienced as the Hawks number one perimeter defender, he could be the prototypical wing the Dallas Mavericks are sorely lacking. The hope is that a new situation, especially one where he could make a real impact, would inspire him to play some of his best basketball.

Next: No. 2