Mavericks can't think about the playoffs until Masai Ujiri fixes these roster holes

The Dallas Mavericks finally decided on their direction this week by hiring Masai Ujiri to be their new president and alternate governor. Ujiri is one of the most respected executives in the NBA, and the team's path to getting back to the NBA Playoffs next season is obvious.

Dallas' roster holes are clear. They need to add 3-point shooting, point-of-attack defense, and shot creation if they want to avoid being in the NBA Draft Lottery for the third year in a row next season, and their journey back to the postseason starts right now.

The Mavericks have the eighth-best odds of receiving the No. 1 pick later today, and wherever they land in the Draft Lottery will determine Ujiri's first order of business.

Masai Ujiri's first draft in Dallas is pivotal

The 2026 NBA Draft is less than a month and a half away, and the Mavericks have a big opportunity to add some top-tier talent depending on where they land in the lottery. This year's draft class is as loaded as we've seen in recent years, and bringing in a guard like Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., or even Brayden Burries would be game-changing. The playoffs always prove that you need multiple creators to succeed, and the Mavs can cross this need off their checklist later this summer.

Dallas desperately needs a high-level guard to play behind Kyrie Irving, and any of the aforementioned guards would fill that role valiantly.

The lottery is poised to be filled with elite guards, and wherever the Mavericks land should help them find a day-one difference-maker. Wagler is one of the best shooters in the draft, Brown Jr. has a high ceiling and great playmaking, and Burries can do it all. Dallas will be able to fill multiple of their needs with whoever they select in the lottery, and free agency gives them a golden opportunity to do this as well.

The Mavericks are projected to have access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception in free agency, allowing them to pay a free agent about $15 million annually for up to four years. This isn't something they'd have access to if they hadn't traded Anthony Davis, and Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley deserve credit for the job they did in that deal this year.

Free agency gives the Mavericks another chance to address their flaws

That trade set up Ujiri and Mike Schmitz, their new general manager, to make a splashy pickup in free agency, and whoever they decide to pick up should have a major role moving forward.

Dallas is going to have tons of options to sign to that MLE once free agency opens up on June 30, and many of their potential top options are playing in the playoffs right now. Players like Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, Ayo Dosunmu, and Quentin Grimes could go in that range, and any of these players would give the Mavericks some much-needed depth. Ujiri finding a way to land any of these players on the MLE would be massive for Dallas, and each of them brings different valuable skillsets.

Dort remains one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, and signing him would change everything for the Mavericks' defense. They desperately need someone who can guard the best guards in the NBA, and his physicality and effort on that end are unmatched. His entire role is to shut down whoever is in front of him, and he would quietly be an amazing fit next to Irving in the backcourt.

Whatever direction the Mavericks decide to go with their three draft picks and in free agency, Ujiri is going to have a great chance to make some moves to put Dallas back in a great position. They need to address their defense and shooting, among other things, and Ujiri plugging these holes shoud guarantee that the Mavs are back in the postseason once again.

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