5 things the Dallas Mavericks front office should look to accomplish in 2023

Thing Dallas Mavericks front office should look to accomplish in 2023: 5. Protect 1st round picks

The Mavs still owe their 2023 first-round pick to the New York Knicks from the original Kristaps Porzingis deal that they made back in 2019. It is top ten protected, but Dallas is projected to be back in the postseason.

Assuming the pick conveys next summer, the Mavericks will own all of their own first-round picks for the first time in the Luka Doncic era. Remember, Dallas traded two firsts to trade up two spots to land Luka, and then, dealt two more away during his rookie season to acquire Kristaps Porzingis in a move that never quite worked out as planned.

General manager Nico Harrison faces an interesting dilemma between now and next summer’s draft. He can trade his future first-round picks for upgrades in the interim or wait after the 2023 draft for the chance to offer four firsts in a potential deal for a star player. The Mavs front office will have to decide how much a short-term upgrade is worth missing out on the sweepstakes for the next disgruntled star.

The Dallas Mavericks should be looking to protect their first-round picks unless they are acquiring an impact talent that can push them to the cusp of title contention. Having four firsts to offer will put Dallas in the running for any star, but they need to wait until June for it to become a reality.