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

Thing Dallas Mavericks front office should look to accomplish in 2023: 3. Clear Bertans

Davis Bertans is on one of the least team-friendly contracts in the NBA. The 6’10 forward is an elite 3-pointer shooter, but he is a one-dimensional player. Bertans struggles on the defensive end of the floor and does not offer any playmaking or ball-handling ability. He spaces the floor, but his lack of ancillary skills limits him to under 20 minutes per game.

Bertans is owed $32 million over the next two seasons with an additional $5 million guaranteed in the 2024-2025 campaign. The 30-year-old is projected to be the team’s fourth highest-paid player this season, including making $3.6 million more than Dorian Finney-Smith, who is starting a new extension.

The Mavericks should be looking for the trade that allows them to clear Bertans contract off their books. Even if they take back a “bad contract”, any player making that money or more will offer additional production, so Dallas should be searching hard for a deal that allows them to dump Davis Bertans to improve their roster.

What the Dallas Mavericks should not do is straight dump Davis Bertans at the cost of a first-round pick. There is no need to give up the asset to free him off the books. His contract is not that detrimental to their cap sheet. Dallas needs to find another team willing to take him on as part of a larger package. It likely will not happen until next summer when the Mavericks have more flexibility to make moves.