Mavericks fans are already completely wrong about the D'Angelo Russell signing

The Dallas Mavericks kicked off free agency on Monday night by signing D'Angelo Russell to a two-year deal, giving them their new stopgap point guard that the team has been searching for all summer. It was clear as soon as Kyrie Irving went down with an ACL tear back in March that they were going to need to sign or trade for a player to fill his shoes for the first half of this season, and Russell is clearly one of their best options to do that as he brings excellent playmaking and deadly 3-point shooting off the catch. Both are things that Dallas needs badly heading into the 2025-26 season.

While the Mavericks have mostly been praised for signing Russell, there have also been some concerns that he may not be the best fit in Dallas due to his defensive limitations and effort concerns, but Mavs fans are clearly overthinking this signing. The best part about the Russell signing is that they signed him to be Irving's backup, and while he is poised to start for at least 50 games, he will immediately become one of the better backups the Mavericks have had in some time as soon as Irving returns.

Mavericks fans shouldn't think of Russell as their longtime starter. Rather, they must remember that he is only going to start for the first half of the season, and after that, Russell will transition into the backup point guard spot to lead the second unit.

D'Angelo Russell's real role in Dallas starts after the starting job ends

When playing winning basketball matters most, in March, April, and into the playoffs, Russell will be holding down the second unit, and he is poised to do that at an elite level compared to what the Mavs have dealt with over the last few seasons. Dallas' depth is one of their strongest points heading into next season, and a second unit consisting of Russell, Klay Thompson or P.J. Washington (depending on who starts), and Daniel Gafford is going to be a strong group that will be prepared to hold down the fort while the usual starters are on the bench.

Players like Max Christie, Caleb Martin, and Naji Marshall will also be coming off the bench, and Russell should excel at getting everyone around him open shots while drilling threes at a high clip. With Russell running the show, Dallas' second unit is going to have a much different feel to it compared to last season.

While Dante Exum, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Brandon Williams each did a great job running the second unit at different times, Russell is a major step up from each of them. He is a career 17-points-per-game scorer and a one-time All-Star, and he has this chance to rejuvenate his career in a new role after what transpired last season.

For the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets in the 2024-25 season, Russell averaged 12.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 39 percent from the field and 31.4 percent from downtown. While Russell's stats were way down compared to what fans were used to with him, he is going to have a great shot to bounce back in Dallas next season.

To begin the season, Russell is going to have a massive role, as he will be the starter alongside Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, and either Thompson or Washington. He'll have the job of getting the offense organized, knocking down open shots, and bridging the gap until Irving returns.

As long as Mavericks fans remember that Russell was not brought in to be a starter, they should be thrilled when considering the bigger picture. The Mavericks did the best they could on the free agency market, and considering that he will only be making about $5.8 million next season before having a player option before the 2026-27 season, Dallas got him for a bargain.