7 Dallas Mavericks players who definitely shouldn't be back next year

5. Frank Ntilikina

The Mavericks signed Ntilikina in the 2021 offseason after his rookie contract with the Knicks expired. New York drafted him in the top ten as a point guard, but the French Prince struggled mightily in that role. When he signed with the Mavs, they used him in more of a 3-and-D wing role coming off the bench.

For the second straight season, Ntilikina struggled to earn consistent minutes. He is a strong perimeter defender but offers little on the offensive end of the floor. He averaged just 2.9 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 12.9 minutes per game over 47 contests. The Mavs desperately needed defense this season, and he still could not carve out a consistent role.

Ntilikina shot just 25.4 percent from 3-point range, which sank his career percentage to 32.3. Without a consistent jump shot, Ntilikina is just a defensive specialist, and it is difficult to play someone like that for more than 20 minutes per game.

Frank Ntilikina is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and the Dallas Mavericks are best just moving on. The 24-year-old still has plenty of talent, but the fit is not there. Dallas is set in the backcourt with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. They should be looking to fill Ntilikina’s role with a 3-and-D wing or a third point guard that can handle the ball and make plays when one of their two superstars is out.