Answer to Mavericks' inevitable roster dilemma couldn't be clearer

Riding a two-game win streak and momentum from Anthony Davis returning to the lineup versus the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, the Dallas Mavericks weren’t able to keep up with the New York Knicks on the second night of a back-to-back, losing 128-113 despite being tied 68-68 at halftime. It seemed like Dallas was in this game till New York took the wind out of their sails in the third quarter from a defensive perspective, and Dallas couldn’t keep up with the three-level scoring barrage from O.G. Anunoby and Mikal Bridges in the second half. 

This was unfortunate cause the Mavericks spoiled a career-high 38 points from Naji Marshall, as they struggled to feed Marshall the rock due to the Knicks’ ball denial in the second half after Marshall couldn’t be stopped in the in-between game en route to 28 points on 13-15 shooting from the field in the first half. Marshall’s ascension is very intriguing as far as his role is concerned next season, and he’s proving that Dallas didn’t suffer a massive loss by opting to sign him over re-signing Derrick Jones Jr. in the offseason.

That was a tough decision that Nico Harrison and the Mavericks had to make at the time last July, but obviously, Harrison has proven that he is willing to make cutthroat decisions if it fits the mold of his vision for Dallas’ roster. Harrison’s final roster decision in this perilous 2024-25 regular season for the Mavericks is poised to come by April 10, and it’s needless to say this will be another tough decision for Harrison and the Mavericks, even if not close to the magnitude of the decision to trade Luka Doncic.

The Mavericks will have the ability to finally sign a player to a standard deal on April 10 for the remainder of the season, and based on how well all of Dallas’ two-way contract players have played this season, it’s more than likely Dallas selects one of their two-way standouts to join the roster heading into a potential play-in or playoff scenario.

Mavericks need to sign Williams instead of Jones on April 10

Kai Jones has proven to be a stellar backup big that is worth taking a look at in the offseason for center assurance in Dallas' case, even though he's only been with the team for a few weeks. Even Kessler Edwards has proven he can be an NBA-caliber role player while in Dallas, but none of Dallas' two-way players have stood out to the degree that Brandon Williams has.

After Jaden Hardy went down with an ankle sprain in the same game Kyrie Irving tore his ACL versus the Sacramento Kings, and Dante Exum suffered a broken bone in his hand, Williams has taken off from an efficiency standpoint with the Mavericks after finally getting the opportunity he deserved.

Williams has eclipsed Hardy in the rotation, and he's been playing well enough to start if it weren't for Spencer Dinwiddie shooting better and being more proficient from a playmaking standpoint recently. Williams is a tried and true three-level scorer with an insanely deep bag in the pick-and-roll and when attacking the rim on drives.

He also gets after it consistently on the defensive end, and his 6-foot-2 frame shouldn't fool fans from thinking he isn't a slightly above average defender, as he is extremely quick and wiry at his size. Williams is only 25 years old, and he's had a career-best month throughout the month of March so far, averaging 16.9 points, 4.8 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game on shooting splits of 53.8/32.3/86.2.

Even more impressive is that Williams has put up those stats in only 27 minutes per game, and it's not unlikely that those numbers would scale up a decent chunk if he were playing starter minutes. Jones has been just as phenomenal as Williams throughout his time in Dallas, but all signs are pointing toward Dallas bringing back Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford in hopes of making a push to get into the playoffs, especially after Davis returned to the lineup on Monday.

Taking that into consideration, Dallas needs a guard of Williams' caliber far more than they need a big of Jones' caliber heading into a potential play-in or playoff scenario, but they'd be smart to give whichever player they choose a multi-year deal once April 10 rolls around.

Dallas should definitely select Williams in this instance though as aforementioned, as he'd play a more vital role in any postseason scenario and getting him on a cheap multi-year deal would be a huge snag considering Dallas' need for stellar backup guard play next season with Irving poised to missed a decent chunk of time rehabbing from his ACL. Williams has the potential to be a part of Dallas' core for seasons to come and fits their timeline well as a younger veteran, and Dallas can't mess this opportunity up, considering their lack of success with homegrown two-way players thriving for them in recent seasons.