Mavericks set sights on surprise All-Star signing after new rumor

The Dallas Mavericks still have 26 games remaining in the regular season, but rumors of a key free agency signing may already be presenting themselves. Khris Middleton has been excellent over his first four games as a Maverick, averaging 16.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 40 percent from three, and Dallas may already be considering giving him a new contract this summer once he hits unrestricted free agency.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Dallas is giving Middleton a choice (subscription required) when it comes to getting bought out before this Sunday to join a new team or remaining with the Mavericks until the end of the regular season. He clearly has the skills to contribute to a team looking to make a playoff run, but if he stays, Dallas has made it clear to Middleton that they "will certainly still have a need for shooting next season."

This isn't a guarantee that Middleton will net a long-term deal with Dallas if he doesn't ask for a buyout, but re-signing him would make sense, and Dallas seems interested at the very least. The Mavericks are the No. 29-ranked team in 3-pointers made per game (10.8) and are in the bottom five in 3-point percentage (34.2) this season, and they obviously need some serious help in this department if they want to become contenders again.

The Mavericks need what Khris Middleton already has

Their 3-point woes have become impossible to ignore, and with their sole focus being on building around Cooper Flagg, this makes their need for more shooting even more pressing. Flagg's 3-point shooting has been his Achilles heel so far in his NBA career, and they have to put more shooting around him if they expect to rise in the Western Conference standings.

It was clear that the Mavericks were going to struggle shooting from long range long before the 2025-26 season began, but they failed to seriously address this issue. The only external non-rookie free agent that Dallas signed during the summer was D'Angelo Russell, and his addition obviously wasn't enough to swing the Mavs' 3-point shooting in the right direction.

Pairing Flagg with as much shooting and playmaking is a recipe for success as the former Duke standout enters his second season, and Middleton would be a valuable addition to the team as they look to make a playoff push. Dallas can't afford to miss the playoffs again next season after missing the playoffs for three of the previous four seasons (assuming the Mavericks don't make the playoffs this season), and Middleton can help them achieve this goal.

He's an NBA Champion, has played in 80 playoff games and three All-Star Games, and has made over 1,400 threes in his NBA career. Retaining him as a key piece off the bench next season would definitely be a good idea. Middleton can't fix the Mavericks' shooting by himself, but he can definitely help them trend upward again.

Kyrie Irving's return next season should also help them become efficient from 3-point land again, but they need much more than that. Re-signing Middleton would be a great start, and the floor spacing and veteran leadership that he would provide are invaluable.

Middleton showed how much he has left in the tank on Sunday afternoon against the Indiana Pacers, as he finished with 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists while shooting 11-15 from the field. He single-handedly willed the Mavericks to this four-point road victory with his electric three-level scoring and play in the fourth quarter, and this was a preview of what he could bring if they re-sign him in free agency.

The Mavericks already let Middleton know that they're going to need more shooting this offseason, and he could quickly go from a throw-in in the Anthony Davis trade to a key piece of Dallas' 2026-27 rotation. Mavericks fans initially expected him to be a three-month rental, but he is proving that he could be much more than that after this recent, pleasantly surprising resurgence.