10 Defensive anchor free agents the Dallas Mavericks should target this offseason

7. Jakob Poeltl

Traded at the deadline this past year, the Toronto Raptors made an interesting move dealing for Jakob Poeltl. Now, with Nick Nurse gone and the Raptors’ future in question, he could look for a new landing spot.

The Dallas Mavericks should make it their mission to bring him into the fold.

Luka Doncic hasn’t played with a center as good as Poeltl yet in his career. Guys like Christian Wood and Kristaps Porzingis have come to town, but neither brings what Poeltl does.

He may not be as mobile as some other centers in the league, and he can’t space the floor like Wood, but his defensive presence would be extremely valuable.

Poeltl would completely shore up the paint for the Mavericks on the defensive end of the court, gobbling up a ton of rebounds in the process. He would take lots of pressure off of Dallas’ perimeter guys, too.

Best of all, Poeltl will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, meaning the Mavericks wouldn’t have to compete with anybody if they want to sign him to a deal.

Toronto may look to bring him back, but if they decide to blow things up and reset the roster, he may not rejoin the team. In that case, Dallas would have the chance to swoop in and bring him to town.

Important note: Unless Poeltl accepts a mid-level, the Mavericks would likely only have enough to make this work if they let Kyrie Irving and Christian Wood walk.