Dallas Mavericks: Did they do enough this offseason to jump into title contention?

The Dallas Mavericks have made the playoffs two straight years behind Luka Doncic, but they were knocked out in the first round both times. Dallas has not won a playoff series since bringing home the championship in 2011.

Owner Mark Cuban shook things up this offseason because the Mavs are not satisfied. They want to win a championship with Luka leading the way. General manager and president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson was let go with Nico Harrison hired to replace him. Head coach Rick Carlisle resigned with the Mavericks bringing in Jason Kidd to fill the role. The organization agreed to sign four players in the first three hours of free agency to improve their roster too.

The Mavs made moves but were they enough for the team to become title contenders in 2022 and beyond? Let us take a look at the transactions before examining if it was enough and what could be next for Dallas.

Who did the Dallas Mavericks add to their roster this offseason?

The Mavs did not have a draft pick, so they started things with a trade. Josh Richardson was sent to Boston with Moses Brown coming back in return. The 21-year-old gives them a center to develop moving forward. Dallas added Reggie Bullock and Sterling Brown in free agency to improve their floor spacing, perimeter defense, and wing depth. They re-signed both Tim Hardaway Jr. and Boban Marjanovic. Arguably the Mavs’ most important piece of business was inking Luka Doncic to a five-year supermax extension.

Were those moves enough to jump the Dallas Mavericks into title contention?

Did the Dallas Mavericks do enough to jump into title contention?

The Mavs improved their roster this summer. Reggie Bullock is an upgrade over Josh Richardson. Sterling Brown offers more defense and the potential to shoot over 40 percent from 3-point range. He replaces J.J. Redick, who made a limited impact in Dallas because he could not stay healthy. They improved and added two pieces that should fit well next to Luka Doncic.

The Mavericks are better than they get credit for too. They got off to a slow start last season because of KP’s injury and COVID keeping multiple rotation pieces out of the lineup. Dallas won 33 of their final 49 games after getting healthy. Winning at that pace over a full season would have put them third in the Western Conference. Dallas also had two chances to close out the Clippers in the first round of the playoffs, but couldn’t make it happen. The Mavericks with Luka are difficult to defeat.

The Mavs will not be favorites in the Western Conference this season. They took a small step forward but did not do enough to be legitimate title contenders. Dallas would love to add a third star, but at minimum, they need another playmaker and a capable 15-point per game scorer. It is why they targeted Kyle Lowry.

Can the Dallas Mavericks make moves and get into the title picture in the 2021-2022 season?

What else could the Dallas Mavericks do to improve their roster?

Being able to play even basketball in the playoff minutes where Luka Doncic rests would be massive. The Mavs outscored the Clippers by seven in Luka’s 281 postseason minutes in 2021. Dallas lost the other 55 minutes by 43 points. They need a playmaker and creator to keep the offense rolling.

Goran Dragic is the most rumored target for Dallas to fill that role. The 35-year-old veteran plays his best in the playoffs. He can score 15 a night and run the offense. The Raptors are in no hurry to buy him out, and the Mavericks are not eager to give up draft compensation or a young talent for a one-year rental of Dragic. The addition may have to wait until closer to the trade deadline.

Lauri Markkanen is another rumored target. The Mavs are not giving up a first-round pick for him, but the deal could come together as the stalemate prolongs.

Adding Dragic and Markkanen would make the Dallas Mavericks a dangerous team in the Western Conference. No team would look forward to facing them. Can the Mavs make those moves or find another impactful player to add? Stay tuned to The Smoking Cuban for all the latest.