Best and worst-case scenarios for Mavericks bench next season

The Dallas Mavericks may or may not be done making moves this offseason.

Recent rumors have linked Dallas to free agent Kelly Oubre Jr. Our own Noah Weber discussed the impact he would have on the Mavs bench if he were signed. Other rumors have stated the team's interest in Derrick Jones Jr.

Signing one of the two players would be huge for Dallas, as it would give the team an extra scorer off the bench or a wing defender they can lean on.

While the Mavs' bench may be an unfinished product, it doesn't hurt to look at strengths and weaknesses. What role might guys like Seth Curry and Jaden Hardy might play?

Here are some possible outcomes for the Mavericks' bench man rotation:

Best case scenario for Mavericks bench

Right now, the Mavs bench is loaded with a bunch of scoring. Players like Curry, Hardy, and Tim Hardaway Jr. all have the ability to rack up points when called upon.

Hardaway Jr. is probably the most proficient scorer of the three. Last season, he averaged 12.1 points off the bench while shooting 37.2% from the field. In the final month of the season, he averaged 20.3 points and made 57% of his shot attempts. While his role may be undecided, I believe he would come off the bench if he returns.

Curry is also slated to make a significant impact. The returning Mav was lethal behind the arc last season, knocking down 40.5% of his attempts. In Game 1 of the playoffs, he made 66.7% of his threes, scoring 10 points in 16 minutes. Throwing in Curry with Hardaway Jr. would allow the team to rest Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, as they could provide valuable offensive minutes.

As for Hardy, the team got a glimpse of him this summer and what he'll be able to provide. In three games of Summer League action, he averaged 23.0 points. Compared to the two players above, he can do it all: shoot threes, attack the basket, and find the open man. He did an excellent job executing the pick & roll game with rookie Dereck Lively II in Summer League.

Defense will be biggest question mark of Mavericks bench

There is where Dereck Lively II and Dante Exum come into play. In Summer League , Lively was able to control the paint, as he scored a majority of his points inside and got physical by getting boards for the team.

In two of the team's five games, he put up double-digit rebounds. In the third game, he had 11 points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks. If he can develop early, he could become Dallas' big man of the future. But for now, he should improve their defense off the bench.

Another player who could provide defensive skills off the bench is Exum. The former NBA veteran has been out of the league since 2021. However, the last time we saw him, he was providing defensive services for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

For the Cavs, he was a defensive asset tasked with covering tough assignments. One thing that stands out is his ability to guard multiple positions, ranging from the one to the three. Dallas likely picked him up to replace the likes of Frank Ntilikina.

We know the offensive production off the bench won't be an issue. As mentioned, there are plenty of scorers to go around. Defensively, the best-case scenario is that Lively adapts to the NBA quickly, and Exum wipes off his NBA rust.

Another helpful potential change is that Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber could improve their defense next season. Remember, Kleber struggled to anchor the defense after the trade of Dorian Finney-Smith. However, he was recovering from a hamstring tear that sidelined him three months.

Could a healthy Kleber be the key to a team looking for defensive answers?

Worse case scenario for Mavericks bench

A lack of defensive depth has been the team's lone issue. Dallas improved their offensive game with the addition of Seth Curry. However, the team traded away a top wing defender in Reggie Bullock.

Right now, the team is full of guards and bigs, but lacks in the wing position. Jaden Hardy and Tim Hardaway Jr. could possibly play the wing spot but neither is great on the defensive end.

Last season, the team had the sixth-worst defensive rating in the league. They ranked 27th in defensive rebounds, 28th in blocks, 29th in steals, and 18th in opponent points in the paint.

The team's two best defensive players off the bench are Dereck Lively II, who is a rookie, and Dante Exum, who has been out of the league for two years. Besides those two, the only other defensive player is Maxi Kleber.

As I mentioned earlier, he struggled to replicate his defensive statistics from the 2021-2022 season. That year, he answered the call for Dallas giving the team valuable minutes in the playoffs. In 2021, he had a defensive rating of 107.3. A season later, that all changed, as his defensive rating went up to 117.8. It is hard to imagine he drastically improves.

Starting-wise, the team has the defensive intangibles to improve. With the addition of Grant Williams and Richaun Holmes, the team is expected to be better on the defensive end. However, Dallas could struggle to find that same improvement on the bench.

Last season, the team's best defensive players off the bench consisted of Josh Green and Frank Ntilikina. This will change, of course, as Green could be inserted into the starting lineup, and Ntilikina is gone.

Relying on a rookie and a player who has been out for some time is going to be tough. Dallas may need to find a wing defender to go along with the rest of the bench.