Why the 2021-2022 season was important for the Dallas Mavericks

Why this was an important season for Dallas Mavericks: 2. Improved roster flexibility

General manager and president of basketball operations Nico Harrison made a plethora of wise decisions in his first year on the job, but the biggest was trading Kristaps Porzingis and a second-round pick for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. At the moment, it looked like a bad trade for Dallas as Dinwiddie and Bertans were both struggling for the Wizards and are owed significant money going forward, but the move helped spark the team’s run to the conference finals.

It was clear that KP was never going to be the second star that the Mavericks envisioned when they acquired him. He did not offer the floor spacing Dallas hoped and his defense was problematic to the new scheme head coach Jason Kidd was installing. The Mavs moved on from his max contract and gained some roster flexibility moving forward.

Dinwiddie and Bertans are both on medium-sized contracts that could help Dallas work out a deal for a star if one becomes available, and they are better fits in Kidd’s system. Dinwiddie provided some much-needed ball-handling with Bertans offering another floor spacer off the bench.

Dallas can explore multiple avenues in upgrading their roster this summer after making this key deal.