Dallas Mavericks need a ball-handler in the worst way: Why haven’t they added one?

The Dallas Mavericks are fresh off a run to the Western Conference Finals, and they thought that would only improve their chances of re-signing Jalen Brunson. The 25-year-old had a breakout fourth NBA season in Dallas, but he decided to join the New York Knicks in free agency. There Brunson can be the lead ball-handler and he gets to be with his family.

Luka Doncic and the Mavs lost their second-leading scorer, but they traded for Christian Wood, who averaged over 19 points and nearly ten rebounds per game during his two seasons in Houston. Dallas has a number two scorer, but they cannot currently replace Brunson’s ball-handling and playmaking chops.

The Mavericks took their offense to another level last season when they began playing two ball-handlers on the floor at all times. Now, Dallas only has two playmakers. Head coach Jason Kidd noted that Spencer Dinwiddie will join Luka in the starting five, but he will be forced to stagger their minutes to ensure one of them is leading the offense at all times.

Dallas Mavericks need a ball-handler in the worst way: Why haven’t they added one?

Coach Kidd experimented with starting Jalen Brunson last season before permanently inserting him on Dec. 12 in the team’s 26th game. The Mavericks' offense improved significantly after they acquired Spencer Dinwiddie at the deadline from the Wizards. They had an offensive rating of 110.3, which ranked 16th in the NBA before the trade, and that number jumped to 117.7 with Dinwiddie in Dallas.

The Mavs had the sixth-best offensive rating in the playoffs at 113.9, and they were top five when factoring out the three games Luka Doncic missed because of a calf injury. Dallas had a better offense when they had two ball-handlers on the floor last season, so why haven’t they added another playmaker?

Examining the Dallas Mavericks roster for potential ball-handlers

Luka Doncic is one of the best shot creators in the NBA, and he has led the league in usage rate for two straight seasons. The 23-year-old shoulders a massive workload, and he is arguably the best offensive engine in the world right now.

Spencer Dinwiddie thrived last season as the team’s number three playmaker. He almost always shared the floor with Doncic or Jalen Brunson, which opened up more space for him to drive the ball and get to the rim.

The Mavs lost JB to the Knicks, and they added Christian Wood, JaVale McGee, and rookie Jaden Hardy. Wood averaged a career-high 2.3 assists per game last season, and Hardy produced 3.6 dimes and 3.4 turnovers each night for the G League Ignite. McGee will be finishing lobs not handling the ball.

Tim Hardaway Jr. will be back healthy after suffering a season-ending foot injury in late January, but he is a scorer and not a playmaker.

The Mavericks' best options at handling the ball beyond that are Frank Ntilikina and Josh Green. The Knicks draft the French Prince as a point guard in 2017, but he struggled to fill that role. He is best suited as a 3-and-D wing, and Green can get a bit out of control when asked to make plays.

The Dallas Mavericks have just two playmakers on their roster after thriving with two on the floor at nearly all times to close last season. Why haven’t they addressed the issue?

Why haven’t the Dallas Mavericks added another ball-handler?

The Mavs made re-signing Jalen Brunson their top priority in free agency, and that was clearly Plan A. They thought their run to the conference finals was enough to keep JB in Dallas, but the 25-year-old had other ideas.

The Mavericks are over the luxury tax line, so they only had the taxpayer mid-level exception and minimum contracts to hand out during free agency. They believed Jaden Hardy was a top 20 player in the draft, so when he slipped into the second round, Dallas pounced. The Mavs needed to keep a piece of the mid-level exception open to give the rookie a three-year deal, though.

They were not adding a primary ball-handler in free agency with the money they had to spend. The Mavs traded their 2022 first-round pick to acquire Christian Wood before the Brunson saga was sorted out, and they owe their 2023 first-rounder to the Knicks with a top-ten protection from the original Kristaps Porzingis trade back in 2019.

The front office has not made acquiring another ball-handler a priority. Boston acquired Malcolm Brogdon for their 2023 first-round pick and five role players the Pacers are not excited about. It was a similar deal to the one Dallas made for Christian Wood.

The Mavs prioritized rebounding and rim protection over ball-handling and playmaking after reaching the conference finals by going small. It was a strange pivot that could signal the team is still not done making moves this offseason or they are comfortable with Luka Doncic handling a massive workload every night.

Will the Dallas Mavericks acquire another ball-handler before the start of the season?

The Mavs have at least one more move to make this summer. They only have 14 players under contract after officially signing JaVale McGee, but they are waiting to fill it. Kevin Durant’s trade request just moments before free agency kicked off stalled the market a bit. There was a flurry of moves in the opening days, but things have been quiet since. Teams are waiting to see what the Nets do before finalizing their rosters for training camp.

The Nets are the team most under the microscope. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are both likely to be shipped out of Brooklyn, and they may need to move Ben Simmons to maximize their return for KD. That is three All-Stars finding new homes before the season begins.

The Jazz traded Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves, and Donovan Mitchell could be the next player out the door. Utah is in no rush, but they appear headed towards a rebuild. Veteran point guard Patrick Beverley was acquired in the Gobert deal, and he will likely find a new home before next season starts.

There will be point guards available via trade, but will the Mavericks pay the necessary draft capital to acquire someone? It appears they are prioritizing their draft picks in hopes of trading for a star player over the next two years. That same hope is why Brunson is a Knick, and the Mavs free-agent track record is abysmal. Dallas must pay the freight for a ball-handler before the 2022-2023 season tips off.

Will the Dallas Mavericks? Stay tuned to find out.