Mavericks still have glaring fatal flaw to address after D'Angelo Russell signing

The Dallas Mavericks' roster was officially filled after they signed D'Angelo Russell to a two-year deal on Monday evening to kick off free agency, and even though Russell is bound to be an excellent player within the Mavs' rotation and be a solid starter for the first half of the season, the team still has a clear problem it must address as soon as possible.

The Mavericks won't have enough playmaking to hold them over until Kyrie Irving returns from his ACL tear at some point in 2026, and as the roster stands, there is no way to fix it unless they make some sort of trade to shed a player to open up a roster spot.

As of now, heading into the regular season in a few months, the Mavs' only true point guards are going to be Russell, Brandon Williams, and Ryan Nembhard. This is nowhere near enough playmaking to contend for a title, and dumping one of their end-of-bench guys to sign Dante Exum seems like the best move possible to give them depth.

Mavericks still need more playmaking to contend

Dallas has already been in trade rumors to move Olivier-Maxence Prosper to sign Exum, and this seems to be a move they have to make to bolster their backcourt. The Mavericks could even consider trading Dwight Powell or Jaden Hardy to create a roster spot, as both players are likely poised to be outside of the rotation.

Exum and the Mavs have mutual interest in a reunion, but if Dallas can't open up a roster spot, they may be out of luck. Last season for Dallas, Exum averaged 8.7 points and 2.8 assists per game while shooting 47.8 percent from the field and 43.4 percent from downtown. Exum's steady hand and stellar 3-point shooting would give the Mavs a major boost if they can retain him, but they may want to act fast, as he has also drawn interest from the Los Angeles Lakers and overseas.

Assuming the Mavericks can find a way to bring back Exum, there is going to be a major playmaking burden on his shoulders, along with the rest of the guards. If Williams can take another big step in his development and continue the momentum that he had at the end of last year, Dallas may be in a better spot than expected, but the guard play to begin the year is definitely going to be a major X-factor when it comes to the Mavs' chances of being a true contender.

They must put themselves in a good position to make a strong end-of-season push once Irving returns, as having to play catch-up over the final months of the season would put way too much pressure on him as he returns from a lengthy ACL surgery recovery.

Jason Kidd's plan to play Cooper Flagg at point guard and handle the rock often could also end up helping more than expected, but forcing an 18-year-old rookie to be one of the lead initiators is also a questionable plan. Even if Flagg exceeds expectations as a ball handler, the Mavs still may end up not having enough playmaking and shot creation, and this will remain a hole on their roster until they make a trade to create roster room for Exum.