4 Best free agent fits for the Dallas Mavericks after the 2023 NBA Draft

Following the Dallas Mavericks' draft night trades with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Sacramento Kings, they created enough cap flexibility to use the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception.

Each year, that exception is awarded to teams above the salary cap but below the tax apron. This means they can now offer a prospective free agent a contract for $12.4 million and up to four years, opening up a whole new world of possibilities for Dallas.

Having the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception is a significant raise over their previous option, which was only the BI-Annual Exception ($4.5 million/two years), as more free agents could now be open to signing with the Mavericks.

4 Best free agent fits for the Dallas Mavericks after the 2023 NBA Draft

This puts a significant number of free agents in play for Dallas, all of whom may not have been beforehand. And for a team that desperately needs to add talent around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, this is a crucial development.

Of course, this is all assuming the Mavs can re-sign Irving. In the scenario Irving goes somewhere else, Dallas will have roughly $24 million in cap space. But for this article, let's assume Irving stays in the Big D on a shiny new contract.

After drafting Derek Lively with the 12th pick (via the trade with the Thunder), the Mavs still need to add another center and at least one wing player if they want to build a complete rotation.

Looking at the 2023 free agent class, four players stand out as the best potential fits for the Mavericks and their Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception.

4. Bruce Brown Jr.

Although Bruce Brown Jr. isn't going to be a star, he has developed into a very high-caliber role player. There is no doubt that he is most likely going to be one of the most coveted free agents this summer.

Brown introduced himself to the world during the Denver Nuggets' title run this year, mainly for his defense and hustle. If you google "Bruce Brown defense," a plethora of articles will pop up praising the 6-foot-4, 26-year-old guard, including this video, which shows him successfully guarding multiple Phoenix Suns players (including Kevin Durant) in the playoffs.

In addition to his fearless defense, he is a capable three-point shooter (37 percent over the last two seasons) and hit multiple big shots for the Nuggets during their championship run.

He's also a decent passer (3.4 assists per game last season) and a good rebounder for someone his size (4.2 rebounds per game for his career).

Brown would immediately be a major part of the Dallas Mavericks rotation and fit perfectly next to Luka Doncic. The biggest hurdles would be if Brown is offered a contract by another team for more than the MLE, or if he decides to stay in Denver on a much cheaper deal than he is worth.

His experience, basketball intelligence, aggressive defense, and ability to acclimate seamlessly next to superstars on offense would make him one of the best "non-star" free agents the Mavs could sign.

3. Jakob Poeltl

Jakob Poeltl is a big center, standing at 7-foot-1 and 245 pounds, and has spent most of his career with the San Antonio Spurs. However, he was traded back to the team that drafted him (ninth overall in the 2016 NBA Draft), the Toronto Raptors, at the deadline last season.

He does everything you would expect a big center to do. Since he became a full-time starter two seasons ago, he's averaged 12.9 points (on 62.4 percent shooting), 9.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.

The 27-year-old doesn't shoot threes at all, as he's never attempted a single three-point shot in his entire career. However, he has a serviceable post-game and will score off of put-backs from offensive rebounds.

Even though he doesn't average many assists, he is a more than capable passer and sees the floor relatively well for a big man.

While Poeltl isn't considered an elite defender, he is smart and can shine in the right situations. He just isn't going to be a big that can switch on screens and won't always be able to make up for defensive mistakes made by other teammates on the perimeter. Poeltl is at his best when the ball is funneled toward him inside, and when guarding opposing bigs in the post.

After the Dallas Mavericks drafted Derek Lively and traded for Richaun Holmes, Poeltl would most likely slot in as the Mavs starting center and give Lively a chance to develop. He plays with a high basketball IQ and would be able to fit in well with almost any team.

2. Jae Crowder

Dallas Mavericks fans should be very familiar with Crowder, as Dallas drafted him 34th overall back in 2012. They also got to see him guarding Luka Doncic many times during the Mavs' second-round matchup against the Phoenix Suns two years ago.

Crowder is 32 years old now and has seen a decline from his best years with the Boston Celtics as a 3-and-D specialist. However, he is still an above-average and willing defender who plays with a chip on his shoulder.

It can be argued, though, that some of Crowder's decline over the last few seasons could be attributed to injuries and falling out of favor with former Suns coach Monty Williams.

Crowder is still a serviceable three-point shooter, as he's shot 36.3 percent from behind the arc over the last four seasons.

With Dallas, he would definitely be a part of the rotation and would give the Mavs the aggressive perimeter defender they've been lacking. He would also most likely see a boost in his shooting stats playing next to Luka Doncic.

Coming off of a season where he played only 18 games, he is definitely in a "prove it" year. Given his fiery intangibles, it wouldn't be surprising to see him have a bounce-back year in the right situation.

1. Harrison Barnes

Harrison Barnes is another former Dallas Maverick who would fit well, given what the Mavs are looking for.

He is a great locker-room presence who has seen his on-court role shrink over the last few seasons with the Sacramento Kings. However, his role hasn't shrunk because of his lack of talent. The Kings have simply added more talented players to their roster.

Barnes started all 89 games for the Kings last year (regular season and playoffs), which is a rare feat in today's NBA.

Although he isn't an elite defender, he is still very capable on that end of the floor. Offensively, he averaged 15.0 points per game and shot 37,4 percent from behind the arc. His rebounding and assist numbers won't blow you away but they were still solid (4.5 RPG and 1.6 APG).

He only averaged the sixth most field goal attempts per game for the Kings last season, but was still their fourth-leading scorer, putting up 20 or more points 19 times during the regular season.

With Dallas, he would be a great player to bring off that bench that you know isn't going to hurt you in any area. Especially considering the youth movement the Mavs are currently compounding on their roster, having a consummate professional like Barnes would be a great bonus.