6 Dallas Mavericks players who need monster second halves to save their jobs

The Dallas Mavericks enter the final third of the season with plenty to prove.

Dallas is sitting as the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference but is just a game back from the No. 5 seed. The Western Conference race is as close as ever, and the Mavs have started playing their best basketball of the season at the perfect time.

The Mavs have won six games in a row heading into tonight's matchup with the Phoenix Suns, and trade acquisitions P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford have helped give Dallas a boost defensively that they needed badly.

6 Dallas Mavericks players who need monster second halves to save their jobs

With the final stretch of the season being so crucial, the performance of many role players on the roster is also crucial as they want to cement a role before the playoffs begin.

Here are six Dallas Mavericks players who need monster second halves to their seasons to save their jobs.

6. Derrick Jones Jr.

The Dallas Mavericks signed Derrick Jones Jr. to a massive bargain last summer when they landed him on a one-year, veteran's minimum contract.

Jones Jr.'s role was unknown when Dallas first signed him, but he has turned into a crucial rotation player for this team and was an everyday starter until the Mavs traded for Washington.

This season for Dallas, Jones Jr. is averaging 9.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from three. Jones Jr. started on a tear from downtown, but his shooting has come back down to earth over the last few months.

He has not been an extremely reliable option from downtown as he once was, and his play has taken a dip since Washington and Gafford started playing as he has only scored 10 points over the last three games.

Washington's presence will allow Jones Jr. to fall back into a role that suits him better off the bench, but he will definitely be playing for his contract this summer for the rest of the season.

This final stretch could determine the type of money that he receives this summer, and it will also give Dallas a good hunch if he is someone they want to re-sign in free agency.

5. Olivier-Maxence Prosper

When the Dallas Mavericks drafted Olivier-Maxence Prosper with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft (via a trade with the Sacramento Kings), every fan couldn't wait to see him suit up for Dallas.

His outgoing and upbeat personality combined with his tenacious defense were two things that Mavs fans were excited about. He showed so much promise at Marquette and his performance in the Summer League led many fans and the media alike to believe that he would have a big role early on.

Prosper's performance slowed down against NBA competition in the preseason, and before we knew it, he was out of the rotation. He has spent time with the Texas Legends of the NBA G League this season, and his development may not be going as quickly as expected originally.

This doesn't mean that Prosper will never develop into a role player for Dallas, as he is only in his rookie season, but his play improving over the back half of this season is important.

The Mavs don't have time to wait on the development of players considering Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving's timeline, and if Prosper doesn't show great improvement, he could be someone who becomes expendable for Dallas.

This isn't to say that he should be ready to play 20 minutes per night by the end of the season, but proving that Jason Kidd can count on him for defense and energy while playing in control will be important for him.

4. Jaden Hardy

Dallas Mavericks second-year guard Jaden Hardy is playing at an elite level right now, and he is finally stepping into his role.

Hardy is playing with more confidence than we have ever seen from him, and his improvement in a few major areas has been evident over the last few weeks. He has improved as a passer, playmaker, and defender, and he is making smarter decisions as well.

There were points at the beginning of the season when Hardy seemed unplayable, and now he has become someone who Dallas needs every night. His shooting off the catch and scoring in the mid-range have been deadly lately, but he needs to keep it up to ensure that he remains in Dallas' future plans.

Last summer, Hardy was someone whom teams around the league were intrigued with, but Dallas refused to deal him. If he continues to play the way that he is right now, Dallas will likely keep him around to be the leader of their bench unit, but if not, he could be someone who isn't on the roster next season.

Depending on how the Mavs finish this season, they could look to make another big trade this summer. The team must build the perfect roster around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and if Hardy's play somehow declines, he may not be in that long-term plan.

3. Dwight Powell

Ever since the Dallas Mavericks traded for Dwight Powell during the 2014-15 season, he has been someone who plays on a nightly basis. Powell has career averages of 7.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game, but he was also thrust into a role that was never going to fit him at times.

Powell has started in 252 games for the Mavs throughout his tenure in Dallas, and that role was not a great fit for him. He has had excellent seasons like he did during the 2018-19 season when he averaged 10.6 points per game, but his playstyle and size showed that he needed to be coming off the bench, especially over the last few years.

His ability as a rim roller and his hustle were always solid, but his defense and rebounding were lacking. When Dereck Lively II was off the floor or out of the lineup, Dallas' defense plummeted. That's likely why Dallas traded for Daniel Gafford, and now Powell has become someone who doesn't play much anymore.

Powell's value to the city of Dallas stretches far beyond the basketball court, but proving his worth in his limited minutes will be essential for him. His salary is quite tradeable, and if he isn't someone Dallas can utilize at all, his job may be in jeopardy.

2. Dante Exum

When the Dallas Mavericks signed Dante Exum over the summer, it was a move that many fans wondered the reasoning behind. The Mavs already had plenty of guards and Exum had been out of the NBA for multiple seasons.

It didn't seem likely that Exum would be a key piece for the Mavs this season, but that quickly changed. Exum has started in almost half of the games he has played for Dallas this season and is having the best season of his career. He is averaging 9.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game this season, but his health has been a major concern.

He has missed over 20 games this season, and his health will be crucial for the Mavs down the stretch. Exum has been someone who they have leaned heavily on, as he is averaging 19.7 minutes per game, but if he can't stay healthy down the stretch, he may be someone who loses their role next year, or Dallas could decide to move him.

His salary is not fully guaranteed next season, and the play of Jaden Hardy could lead Dallas to increase his role even more.

Exum's main thing is staying healthy, and his play has been great when he is on the floor. Him missing games has been the biggest concern, and if he can't prove that he is reliable, the Mavs may have a tough decision to make about him this summer.

1. Josh Green

Dallas Mavericks young guard Josh Green is someone who teams were interested in over the summer of 2023, but Dallas decided to keep him. Dallas continued to reportedly turn down offers that included Green up to this year's trade deadline, and the Mavs found a way to keep him while also trading for P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford.

Green is one of Dallas' best assets, and the Mavs were able to pull off two impactful moves without including him in either deal. He was reportedly drawing interest from Charlotte while the teams were discussing a deal centered around Washington, but Dallas ended up being able to keep him.

Green is playing the best basketball of his career over the last few weeks, and he has been playing with consistency. His consistency has been a major question mark throughout the early stages of his career, and if he can keep playing like he has been, he'll be a starter in Dallas for years to come.

If Green doesn't end up fitting well next to Dallas' new-look core, he could become expendable after this season. He is an attractive trade piece for teams looking for a young guard, and his newly signed contract is at good value.

It seems like Green will be a Dallas Maverick moving forward, as he fits great on Dallas' timeline, considering how much he has developed as a shooter and overall player over the last two years, but anything can happen in the NBA.

For all the latest on Josh Green and the Dallas Mavericks this season, stay tuned.