Mavericks' solution to glaring Kyrie Irving problem is staring them in the face

The Dallas Mavericks finally snapped a four-game losing streak with a 123-117 win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night, as the Mavericks spoiled Arlington native Cade Cunningham's first game playing against his hometown NBA team in Dallas, even though Cunningham had 35 points on 15-30 shooting on the game.

Mavericks big man Kai Jones continued to give Dallas a point of infliction from a rim protection standpoint in only his third game with the Mavs, as Dallas' defense has surged up tremendously by having a competent defensive center in their lineup over the past two games. Dallas' chances at making the play-in or playoffs are still very much in the air, but it's great to see the Mavericks competing at a high level amidst all the adversity they have faced recently, even if it's not idealistic for their draft lottery odds if they continue to win games.

Another huge reason for Dallas winning this game was because of how well Spencer Dinwiddie played, as the veteran guard had a season-high 31 points on 9-12 shooting from the field and 11-13 shooting from the free throw line. It's already becoming increasingly obvious that Dallas should try and sign two-way contract guard Brandon Williams to a standard deal on April 10 or this offseason, and given Kyrie Irving's torn ACL, Dinwiddie may be another guard that Nico Harrison should prioritize signing this summer.

Mavericks must sign Dinwiddie to another deal this summer

Dinwiddie hasn't been a hallmark of consistency this season for the Mavericks, especially from beyond the arc, but he's quietly grown to be Dallas' best playmaker ever since Irving went down. Dinwiddie was having one of his least efficient seasons from a shooting perspective for the Mavericks this season, but nights like Friday night show that he can still be dynamic as a bigger guard when attacking downhill consistently, and playing more of a lead role has seemed to help him become more comfortable recently.

With Dinwiddie already being familiarized with Dallas' system and the Mavericks' options being limited from a free agency perspective this summer, signing Dinwiddie to another deal would be a great play for Dallas given Irving's injuries and the general lack of playmaking on the roster. Dinwiddie would also likely be very cost-effective, as it wouldn't be surprising to see Dallas re-sign him on a veteran's minimum deal or something not far above that.

While being the main primary shot creator and playmaker on the roster throughout the month of March for Dallas, Dinwiddie has averaged 14.1 points and 5.2 assists per game. Dinwiddie has held his own defensively as well as he ever has this season for the Mavericks, even though he's not an elite defender by any means, and his knowledge of Dallas' offense from a stylistic perspective is unrivaled by most.

There are definitely other guards on the market that would be better for the Mavericks compared to Dinwiddie, but he's a solid backup guard who may be worth giving another shot to, especially considering Jaden Hardy's inability to take steps in his development through three seasons in Dallas. Dinwiddie was knifing his way in the lane for tough finishes through contact all evening long versus the Pistons on Friday, and he's wildly more efficient when he's more aggressive and getting to the foul line consistently, so this is something that would need to be a point of emphasis in a potentially larger role next season.

Kidd trusts Dinwiddie immensely through their multiple seasons together, and even though the veteran guard will turn 32 years old in the coming days, he'd be a very cheap signing and would give some needed continuity to a Mavericks team that desperately needs it if he re-signed this offseason.