Mavericks' toughest offseason decision already has an obvious answer

The Dallas Mavericks have some tough decisions to make with their backcourt this summer, and Brandon Williams is proving that Dallas needs to give him a new contract as the 2025-26 season comes to a close. The Mavericks have to nail free agency and the draft after a disappointing season, and this starts with getting Kyrie Irving a reliable backup upon his return.

Williams has worked his way up from multiple two-way contracts in Dallas, all the way up to his first standard contract, and he's in for a raise in free agency. He's worth more than a veteran's minimum contract after his breakout season, and Dallas has to decide if it has enough faith in him to keep him around long-term.

Brandon Williams is becoming the point guard Dallas needs him to be

Williams' recent surge happens to be right before he hits unrestricted free agency, and he's making it extremely hard for the Mavericks to let him walk. He and Cooper Flagg have formed a strong connection this season due to them both being elite transition players, and this alone is a major reason to explore giving him a new contract.

He's averaging 13.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the field. His ability to get to the rim has always been strong in Dallas, along with his speed in the open court, but he's turned into much more than that this year.

Williams' ability to get to his mid-range jumper whenever he wants is Kyrie Irving-esque, and his passing has improved significantly as well. He has put up five or more assists in eight of the last 11 games, and his elevated playmaking may be what ultimately convinces the Mavs to re-sign him.

His ability to throw lobs and make the right reads when getting downhill has helped round out his game, and while he's still a score-first guard, he can be a table-setter when needed as well.

From speedster to table-setter

With Irving out of the lineup, Dallas has been forced to rely upon Williams and Ryan Nembhard to take on this role as the floor general, and both players' passing has been impressive. Nembhard leads all rookies in assists per game at 4.9, while Williams dishes out 3.9 per game (a 1.6 increase from last season).

Williams improving this much ahead of the biggest offseason of his NBA career was only fitting, and Jason Kidd has been extremely complimentary about his growth in this area. Kidd loves point guards who make their teammates better, and Williams now falls into that category.

Who Dallas signs or drafts to be their backup point guard will have a huge impact on their performance next season, and Williams is making his case undeniable.