2 Mavericks that earned untouchable status, 4 that should be cut loose

Dallas Mavericks player that should be cut loose: 2. JaVale McGee

The Mavs signed McGee to a three-year deal worth $17.2 million in the summer of 2022. He was the team’s marquee free agent signing as they used the majority of their mid-level exception to land him. Dallas needed an upgrade at the five, and they believed in McGee after he worked with head coach Jason Kidd in Los Angeles.

Things just did not work out, and it should not be shocking. The only time McGee has consistently held down a starting center gig in his career was those two seasons in LA, and even then, he only played in 14 of the 21 playoff games during the team’s postseason run. McGee is a fine backup, but things have not worked out in Dallas.

The Mavericks need to move on this summer. They have to replace JaVale McGee with a wing or big man that coach Kidd is comfortable using off the bench. The franchise's best bet is to throw McGee into a trade for salary-matching purposes before trying to sign a center replacement on the open market.

The Dallas Mavericks had arguably the worst big-man group in the NBA this season, and they must move on from a third center this summer if they want to jump back into the playoff picture.