Mavericks quietly inch toward the championship formula they've desperately lacked

The Dallas Mavericks' current roster looks completely different from the roster that took them to the Western Conference Finals in 2022, as Dwight Powell is the only remaining member from that beloved teaam, but they are finally starting to gain good year-over-year continuity heading into next season.

Dallas brought back 13 of the 15 players from their 15-man roster from the end of last season, with the only members not returning being Spencer Dinwiddie and Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and the Mavericks are quietly creeping into the area where they need to be to emerge as yearly contenders when it comes to their roster construction and keeping players around.

This isn't to say that they have championship-level continuity already, as over half of the team that helped them reach the 2024 NBA Finals is playing elsewhere, but they are heading in the right direction at the perfect time.

Mavericks' long-lost continuity is finally taking shape

You can't win the NBA Finals with a team that hasn't played much together, and even though the two timeline approach is going to be a major challenge, the Mavericks are going to do whatever they can to win a title right now. Jason Kidd stated that there is only one timeline during his Media Day interview on Monday, and Dallas' perfect blend of veterans and youngsters could help them emerge as an elite contender before anyone realizes it.

Through the first few days of training camp, the Mavs' size looks like it is going to be more impressive and intimidating than expected, as teams will be shaking in their boots when Dereck Lively II, Anthony Davis, and Cooper Flagg are sharing the floor together. All three players are elite defenders, and assuming they all three start, Dallas' defense is going to be their backbone as soon as the game tips off.

Not to mention, their bench defense should also be elite, as Max Christie, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford are all high-level defenders. Christie's perimeter defense and length, Gafford's rim protection, and Washington's versatility will help ensure that there isn't a major drop-off when the starters head to the bench, and the anchors of this unit, Gafford and Washington, just got extended this summer.

Washington signed a four-year extension while Gafford signed a three-year extension, and Nico Harrison has done a great job of keeping the new core together to try to build some continuity and togetherness that could propel them to new heights over the next few years. Kyrie Irving also signed a three-year contract this summer, meaning his long-term future in Dallas is all but guaranteed, and nearly the entire roster is locked up on deals that stretch beyond the 2025-26 season.

The only guaranteed free agents that Dallas will have next summer are Dwight Powell, Dante Exum, and Brandon Williams, with Klay Thompson and D'Angelo Russell having player options. Harrison isn't afraid to put his money where his mouth is when it comes to extensions and keeping players around that he likes, and the 2025-26 season is going to be a great test to see how this roster stacks up against other top-level teams.

Irving should return at some point during the second half of the season, giving the Mavericks a shot to at least contend this year, but if they don't make a deep run, they'll have nearly everyone returning to run it back, tripling down on this newfound continuity that Harrison is trying to build.

Chemistry doesn't come overnight, but the Mavs' new core and supporting cast is built to win now, and in the future. Rome wasn't built in a day, and Dallas is building toward something special.

Their second NBA Finals win in franchise history.