Offseason Report Card: Mavericks get three As, two Cs, and an F for summer moves

Two years ago, the Dallas Mavericks made an impressive run to the Western Conference finals. But this past season, they failed to even make the Play-In Tournament.

Dallas made a huge swing at the deadline this past year, trading for Kyrie Irving and shipping out two key assets in Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith.

And while they weren’t able to capitalize on the move for Irving with a playoff birth, the Mavericks undoubtedly had the team’s long-term future in mind when they made the move.

Heading into the offseason, the Mavericks had one goal in mind - put a competitive team around Luka Doncic. And so far, the moves they have made have been with that in mind.

The biggest moves of the summer for Dallas so far have included two trades at the NBA Draft, re-signing Irving to a new contract, signing Seth Curry in free agency, signing Dante Exum to a one-year deal, handing Matisse Thybulle an offer sheet, and most recently, trading for Grant Williams.

Again, all of these moves have been made with the goal of making it back to the postseason next year and, more realistically, with the ultimate goal of winning a championship.

That being said, not all of these moves were created equal.

Some were great for the Mavericks, some were very average, and one was questionable at best and deserves a poor grade.

So, with all that in mind, let’s break down the Mavericks’ summer moves thus far and give each one a letter grade, creating Dallas’ offseason report card.

1. Mavericks trade for Grant Williams

The Dallas Mavericks completed a three-team trade with the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs, sending out Reggie Bullock and a flurry of draft assets in exchange for 24-year-old forward Grant Williams.

Recent rumblings had indicated that the Mavericks were interested in Williams and Matisse Thybulle, and they found a way to make a run at both of them. But this deal for Williams was perfect.

Bullock was heading into the final year of his contract, so flipping him for any sort of value would have been a win for Dallas. But instead, they managed to turn him into four years of Williams, who is a better defender and three-point shooter at this point in his career.

Williams is a multi-positional defender who can guard some of the best bigs in the league while also getting out on the perimter and keeping up with guards. He will help the Mavericks reshape their defensive game.

Plus, he has been a 40% three-point shooter for the past two seasons, which will give Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving a great target to kick out to on the perimter.

Williams inked a four-year, $54 million deal with Dallas, closing in at $13.5 million per season AAV. That's phenomenal value for a 3-and-D guy of Williams' caliber, especially under the new CBA that's being ushered in.

Turning draft capital and Bullock's expiring deal into Williams is as good as it gets for Dallas.

Grade: A+

2. NBA Draft trades

Let’s lump the Dallas Mavericks’ two trades at the NBA Draft into one move, as they were intertwined by the end of the night.

Dallas kicked off their night by trading the 10th pick in the draft and Davis Bertans to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for the 12th pick.

In doing so, they created a TPE worth Bertans’ contract, effectively moving back two spots as payment for the Thunder taking on his contract.

They picked up Duke big man Dereck Lively II with the 12th pick.

Then, Dallas made a second move, trading back into the first round in a deal with the Sacramento Kings. They added Richaun Holmes into the TPE they acquired in the first deal and draft Olivier-Maxence Prosper with the 24th pick.

Heading into the draft, most fans might have wished for a bigger move with the 10th pick, but this was an ideal outcome for the Mavericks.

Both Lively and Prosper project to be impactful players from Day 1, and with the new CBA being ushered in, having two guys on cost-controlled, first-round contracts will be huge for the Mavericks.

Plus, Holmes is a great addition to their center rotation, which desperately needed reshaping heading into the summer. He could start for them, or at the very least, be a high-level backup.

Overall, it was a great night for the Mavericks, and the set of moves deserves a solid grade.

Grade: A

3. Matisse Thybulle offer sheet

On July 5, it was reported by Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report that Matisse Thybulle plans to sign an offer sheet submitted to him by the Dallas Mavericks.

Dallas was reportedly very interested in the restricted free agent, and now, the Portland Trail Blazers will have to decide whether or not they want to match the offer.

Based on the cap space and assets Dallas has available to them, it seems very likely that the offer they gave Thybulle is for the Non-Taxpayer MLE, which is worth roughly $12.4 million per season.

This is a perfect swing for the Mavericks, who desperately need to improve their play on the defensive side of the ball after the season they had this past year.

Two years ago, one of the main reasons the Mavericks were able to make a run to the Western Conference finals was because their defense was surprisingly solid.

Adding Thybulle to the mix would give them a huge boost on that side of the ball. He’s a two-time All-Defensive player who could take a ton of pressure off of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.

Plus, during his time with the Trail Blazers this past season, his three-point shot showed signs of serious improvement. Over the course of 22 games, he shot 38.8 percent from deep on 3.9 attempts per contest.

The only thing preventing this from being an A or A+ grade is the fact that reports have indicated that Portland intends to match the offer sheet, meaning Dallas will have to pivot. But regardless, this is a great idea by the Mavericks.

Grade: A-

4. Mavericks re-sign Kyrie Irving

When the Dallas Mavericks traded for Kyrie Irving at the deadline this past year, it was with this move in mind. He was in the final year of his contract and set to be an unrestricted free agent, so they knew they would have to re-sign him.

Heading into the summer, all indications pointed toward Dallas being one of the only true suitors for the point guard, and in the end, that’s exactly how it all played out.

But shouldn’t that be a sign? Why were there no other teams showing a real interest in a guy who is an eight-time All-Star, a three-time All-NBA player, and one of the 20 best players in the league?

Well, because there are way too many unknowns when it comes to Irving.

The Mavericks are his fourth team in seven seasons, and while that doesn’t sound all that crazy, just take a look at how he exited from each situation.

He wanted to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers because he wanted to be the focal point. Then, after telling Boston Celtics fans he wanted to re-sign, he didn’t. Irving then requested a trade away from the Brooklyn Nets after three-and-a-half tumultuous seasons.

Don’t get it twisted, Irving is a phenomenal basketball player. He and Luka Doncic could so some special things together while wearing Mavericks uniforms. And the deal Irving signed wasn’t even all that bad (three years, $142 million), as he gave the Mavericks some financial wiggle room in the first year.

The Mavericks handcuffed themselves into making this move when they traded for Irving, but with his history, a three-year deal is definitely an iffy proposition.

Grade: C+

5. Mavericks sign Dante Exum

This move came out of nowhere, as it was recently reported that the Dallas Mavericks have signed Dante Exum to a one-year, guaranteed contract, marking his return to the NBA.

Exum hasn’t played in the league since the 2020-21 season, when he played in six games for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The last time he played more than 30 games was the 2019-20 season.

He will turn 28 years old soon, and his calling card has always been his defense. However, his lack of a three-point shot prevented him from catching on in the league.

Throughout his past two seasons overseas, however, Exum has found a three-point jumper. This past year, he shot 38.8% from deep while playing for KK Partizan.

When we first graded the move, it was a solid B+, but in hindsight, it’s not the best Dallas could have done.

If Exum’s newfound three-point shot carries over to the NBA, he’ll be a solid 3-and-D guy, but they already have Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, Josh Green, and Jaden Hardy at the guard positions.

Dallas should have used the roster spot to sign a wing or forward who could have given the team a bit more size. Guys like TJ Warren, Wesley Matthews, and Trendon Watford stand out, all of whom are still available.

If Exum’s shot remains consistent and he’s still a defensive force, maybe he was the best option available, but for now, we’ll bring the grade down a bit.

Grade: C

6. Mavericks sign Seth Curry

On the first day of NBA free agency, the Dallas Mavericks signed Seth Curry to a two-year contract with their bi-annual exception. Curry will be returning to the Mavericks for his second stint with the team.

Throughout the course of his career, Curry has turned himself into one of the most efficient three-point shooters of all time, and this past season, he shot 40.5% from deep on 3.8 attempts per game.

However, the Mavericks don’t need Curry.

Yes, they need shooters. With Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving at the helm, the Mavericks need to have guys who can stand on the three-point line and nail shots in catch-and-shoot situations.

But Curry is a complete negative on the defensive side of the ball, and any lineup with him, Doncic, and Irving in it will struggle defensively, especially on the perimeter.

There were plenty of other options Dallas could have targeted with that money at the time they inked Curry to a deal. Here are some guys who signed for less money than Curry: Taurean Prince, Troy Brown Jr., Josh Richardson, Torrey Craig, Lonnie Walker IV, and Ty Jerome.

All of those guys are either bigger than Curry, who stands at just 6-foot-2, better on defense, or both. Curry is certainly the best three-point shooter out of the whole group, and probably by a wide margin, but his lackluster defense makes most of those guys, if not all of them, better options.

Curry could end up being a fine pick-up for Dallas, and he’s a great role player, but the defensive side of the ball should have been the priority with the money he was handed.

Grade: F

Full offseason report card and grade

Overall, it’s been a solid offseason for the Dallas Mavericks, but it’s been far from perfect.

Trade for Grant Williams

Getting Grant Williams for the assets they gave up and at the value they paid him is a complete steal by Dallas, and they should be thrilled with how the entire situation played out.

NBA Draft trades

Grade: A

Not only were the Mavericks able to ditch Davis Bertans’ salary, but they were able to do it while drafting the guy they probably wanted at pick 10 in Dereck Lively. Then, they utilized their new TPE to get a solid rotation piece in Richaun Holmes and draft a defensive specialist in Olivier-Maxence Prosper.

Signing Matisse Thybulle to offer sheet

Grade: A-

Matisse Thybulle is the perfect addition to this Mavericks team, as he would elevate their play on the defensive side of the ball. Unfortunately, it seems as though Portland is going to match the offer.

Re-signing Kyrie Irving

Grade: C+

Again, this is a move the Mavericks had to make, and Kyrie Irving is a great player, but he just comes with a lot of uncertainty.

Signing Dante Exum

Grade: C

This entire grade rests on the shoulders of Dante Exum’s three-point shot. If he can make his threes consistently, the grade improves, but with all the other options that were available, Dallas probably could have done better.

Signing Seth Curry

Grade: F

Bringing in an undersized guy who can’t defend made little sense, despite how lethal he is from behind the arc. Seth Curry is a good player, but he shouldn’t have been who the Mavericks went after, especially so early in free agency.

Overall offseason

Grade: B+

The NBA Draft was great, and in theory, so is Thybulle, but the Mavericks could have done a lot better in free agency this summer. That being said, the Williams trade made up for the lackluster signings.