3 starting, 3 backup, and 3 rotation center targets for Mavericks in free agency

4. Backup - Thomas Bryant

If the Dallas Mavericks want a nice offensive punch off the bench, targeting Thomas Bryant in free agency could be a solid strategy, especially if they can get him at a decent price.

Bryant began last season as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, but at the deadline, he was traded to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets, where he spent the remainder of the year.

He earned significantly more playing time with the Lakers, appearing in 41 games for LA, starting 25 of them. In those games, Bryant averaged 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds on 65.4% shooting from the field and 44.0% shooting from behind the arc (on just 1.2 three-point attempts per game).

Defensively, Bryant doesn’t provide much more than a bigger body, as he stands at 6-foot-10, so the Mavericks would have to have other defensive-minded guys.

That being said, Bryant can score in the post, he can run the pick-n-roll, and he can hit some threes. For a cheap backup big man, that’s a solid skillset to have.

As Denver looks to navigate their summer, it seems relatively unlikely that they bring him back, especially considering he barely played for them in the regular season of playoffs.

And if that’s the case, Dallas should consider bringing him in on a smaller deal to be a backup.