10 Reasons the Dallas Mavericks will be back in NBA Finals next year

On Monday night, the Dallas Mavericks' season came to a close as they were defeated by the Boston Celtics in the 2024 NBA Finals. Dallas' spectacular postseason run ended after Game 5, but there's plenty to be excited if you're a Mavs fan.

They proved all of the doubters wrong, and they had an extremely tough path to even get to the NBA Finals.

It all started with a revenge series win against the LA Clippers, a tough series win over the No. 1 seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, and a dominant five-game series win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals.

10 Reasons the Dallas Mavericks will be back in NBA Finals next year

Dallas proved that they are here to stay, and their run through the 2024 NBA Playoffs is evidence of that.

Nico Harrison has built an outstanding roster around Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving that is built for the present, but also right now. Their balance of young talent and established players is what makes them built for this moment, and they will be making deep playoff runs for years to come.

Here are 10 reasons that the Dallas Mavericks will be back in the NBA Finals next year.

10. Mavericks have the perfect balance of youth and win-now players

As mentioned before, the Dallas Mavericks are built for the future, but they're also built for right now. The Mavs' core consists of young players, but they are also ready to contribute right now.

Four of Dallas' five starters are 27 or younger, with the only outlier being Kyrie Irving. Luka Doncic, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford are all 25 years old while Derrick Jones Jr. is 27 years old. All four of these players were huge for the Mavs during the playoffs, and they have the potential to continue to develop and become even better.

Josh Green and Dereck Lively II were also crucial role players all season, and Lively II is only 20 years old while Green is 23 years old. The sky is the limit for both of these players, and Lively II has been one of the most important players on the team all season long.

His energy, defense, rebounding, and ability as a lob threat are spectacular for his age, and his basketball IQ is off the charts. Lively II is an excellent off-ball defender, and his ability to move his feet in space and switch on defense is also solid.

The Mavericks aren't going away any time soon, and their mix of youth and win-now players guarantees that. Dallas also has a couple of secret weapons that still need some development such as Jaden Hardy and Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and Nico Harrison's management of this team has been second to none.

9. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are one of the best duos in the NBA

When the Dallas Mavericks traded for Kyrie Irving at the 2023 NBA trade deadline, seemingly all of the national media doubted his fit next to Luka Doncic. The duo struggled to both stay healthy following the trade, and when they did share the floor together, Irving and Doncic didn't click as well as people wanted them to.

They were playing your turn my turn basketball, and they struggled in the clutch.

Dallas doubled down on their trade for Irving as they extended him on a three-year contract that offseason, it ended up paying off massively, and Irving and Doncic developed into one of the best duos in the NBA this season.

They proved all of the doubters wrong, and their chemistry on and off the floor was outstanding. The duo reportedly started spending more time together off the floor, and they looked much more comfortable sharing the floor together.

Doncic and Irving were thriving when many national media members wanted them to fail, and their on-court chemistry will grow even more heading into next season. Hardy anyone in the league can stop Doncic and Irving simultaneously, and it wouldn't be a shock to anyone if the Mavs start next season on an absolute heater and pick up where they left off.

Doncic and Irving both have deep desires to win a championship together, and 2025 may be the perfect time to do that.

8. Nico Harrison will improve the roster before next season

The Dallas Mavericks pulled off one of the most spectacular postseason runs in team history during the 2024 NBA Playoffs, but Dallas isn't satisfied with a second-place trophy. Everyone in that locker room and front office wants to win more than anything, and a big reason for Dallas' midseason turnaround this season was due to the moves that Nico Harrison made at the trade deadline.

Harrison traded for P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford to solidify the Mavs' frontcourt, and he is always looking for ways he can improve the Mavericks roster. This will be no different this summer, and I could see Harrison making some big-time moves to ensure that the Mavs build off of their spectacular season.

The Mavs are no longer in a position where they need to make big moves like they did for Washington and Gafford, but they do have some smaller needs that need addressing. Dallas' need for a third scorer has been pressing for months considering the struggles of Tim Hardaway Jr., and it wouldn't be a shock if they shop him this summer.

Hardaway Jr. has been in trade rumors for some time now, and this summer may be the year that they finally find a trade partner for him. He is on an expiring contract, and a fresh start may be what's best for him.

It should also be noted that Dallas has the No. 58 overall pick in the draft later this month, and the Mavs have done well over the last few years in the draft. In this situation, the Mavs would be able to grab the best player available player on their board rather than allowing them to sign with someone after the draft.

Harrison will likely be exploring all avenues to improve the roster this summer, and he has always done at well at bolstering the team, even with limited resources.

7. Luka Doncic will enter next season stronger than ever

After a humiliating end to last season and missing the playoffs, Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic clearly wasn't happy. He wasn't happy that his team missed the playoffs and he wasn't happy that they tanked the final two games.

This is understandable, especially considering how competitive Doncic is, and he had the most productive offseasons of his NBA career. Doncic put a huge emphasis on his conditioning and nutrition, and it paid off for him big time.

He was visibly slimmer, and he finally made the changes to his body that the Mavericks were looking for. Doncic had needed to take his body more seriously for some time, and he finally made the change last offseason.

Now that Doncic got a taste of what the NBA Finals are like, that is going to make him train harder than he ever has before. Doncic is the ultimate competitor, and he won't want to settle for second place again.

Doncic made huge improvements to his shooting off the catch and conditioning last offseason, and Mavs fans should be excited about what additions he makes to his game this summer. He is always looking for ways to improve, and he'll have plenty of time to morph into an even better player over the summer.

Doncic plans to play for Slovenia in the Olympic qualifiers depending on the health of his knee, and I'm sure he'll be locked in following that as well. Dallas will obviously have a much shorter offseason this year compared to last year, and Doncic getting healthy and improving his game could take Dallas back to the promised land.

6. Dallas has two secret weapons to unleash on the league next season

With the Dallas Mavericks' roster being so loaded this season, two young role players didn't get to see as much run as fans may have hoped. Jaden Hardy and Olivier-Maxence Prosper both have all the potential in the world to turn into elite role players, and Hardy showed flashes of that during the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

Hardy was a huge X-factor for the Mavs in the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves as he averaged 7.4 points per game while shooting 60 percent from downtown, but his dominance didn't continue into the NBA Finals.

Hardy was pretty much removed from the rotation after Game 1, despite having a great game, and he could have a much bigger role next season depending on what the Mavs decide to do with Tim Hardaway Jr. If Dallas trades Hardaway Jr., Hardy could step into that role seamlessly.

Prosper, on the other hand, wasn't as ready for the NBA as people may have initially thought, but his development in the G League shows how effective he can be for the Mavs in the future. Prosper developed into a 40 percent 3-point shooter and he has all of the intangibles to be an elite 3-and-D wing.

You can never have too many 3-and-D wings in the NBA, and he is poised to have a breakout sophomore season if he continues to work as hard as he did during his rookie season. He is the perfect fit in Dallas, and his energy off the bench could be massive for the Mavs next season as they try to return to the NBA Finals.

5. Dereck Lively II continues to improve by the day

When the Dallas Mavericks drafted Dereck Lively II with the No. 12 overall pick, no one knew what to expect from him. Some people thought he would play in the G League while others thought he could be the Mavs' center of the future.

This mystery surrounding Lively II didn't last long, as he outplayed Victor Wembanyama in his first career game. This growth for Lively II continued all season long, and he was an integral piece of the team during the playoffs.

He outplayed starter Daniel Gafford for most of the playoffs, and Lively II is showing all the signs that he will be a star one day. Lively II works hard, fits perfectly next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and has so much potential.

Lively II is just getting started, and him developing even more this summer will make the Mavs even more dangerous next year. During pregame warmups and practices this year, Lively II has showcased his growth as a shooter. He never attempted to let it fly off the catch in a regular season game, but that changed in Game 4 of the Finals.

Lively II knocked down a right corner three, and the stadium erupted.

Lively II seems honed in on improving this part of the game, and an improved Lively II may be what the Mavs need to return to the NBA Finals a year from now.

4. P.J. Washington showed flashes that he can be a reliable third option

When the Dallas Mavericks traded for P.J. Washington from the Charlotte Hornets at the 2024 NBA trade deadline, it was a move that every fan loved. This trade allowed the Mavs to shed Grant Williams who quickly wore out his welcome in Dallas while acquiring a player who fans wanted the summer before.

Washington's dream was to play for the Mavs, and Nico Harrison and company helped turn that dream into a reality by trading for him. Despite some shooting struggles early on, Washington showed that he is the perfect fit in Dallas.

He defends, shoots the three-ball well, and is satisfied with whatever role Jason Kidd assigns him. Washington is only focused on hooping, and he showed flashes during the 2024 NBA Playoffs that he could be the Mavs' third option on offense.

The Mavs desperately need a third scorer, and Washington showed he can be that when needed. He was electric as a 3-point shooter in Dallas' series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he progressively got more comfortable with shooting floaters as time went on.

If Washington can continue to develop on offense, the Mavs are set for the future with a big three of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Washington. He has the potential to turn into even more of an elite role player, and more consistency out of him next season will lead to more wins for Dallas.

3. The new-look Mavericks will have a full offseason together

Continuity is extremely important in the NBA, and most of Dallas' main role players have been on the team for just one season.

Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington, Derrick Jones Jr., and Dante Exum were all new to the squad this season, and Kyrie Irving has only been on the team for a season and a half. This squad knows what it takes to win in the playoffs, and their deep run in the 2024 NBA Playoffs will help them reach these heights again next season, and that could lead them all the way to the Finals.

Dallas only has two free agents on their 15-man roster (Derrick Jones Jr. and Markieff Morris), and Jones Jr. has already voiced that he wants to return to Dallas while I can see Morris' return to Dallas being likely as well. Morris stepped up as a leader in the locker room this season, and the Mavs will have to decide how important his leadership is to the team.

The core of this squad all being under contract for the foreseeable future is crucial in them building on top of their Finals appearance, and their chemistry will take them to new heights.

Not every team has players who all love playing with each other, and the Mavs are lucky enough to have that. The continuity of the roster will be important this summer, and a full offseason together will allow them to gain chemistry on and off the floor and set their eyes on the Finals once again.

2. Kyrie Irving is comfortable playing for the Mavericks

Many people thought that the Dallas Mavericks trading for Kyrie Irving was a huge risk due to the fact that he had some off-court issues at some of his previous spots. Doubling down on keeping Irving was a bit of a gamble, but it paid off massively for the Mavs.

Irving loves playing in Dallas, and he is at peace. That can't be said about some of his other stops, and the Mavs allowing him to be himself combined with putting an outstanding team around him and Luka Doncic has made this a dream scenario for him.

With Irving being comfortable in Dallas, it's only going to help him gear up and improve even more this summer. Irving showcased just how great he can be at certain points of this postseason, and him being able to build off of his excellent 2023-24 season will be crucial in them pushing for the Finals again next season.

He is comfortable on and off the floor in Dallas, and him being fully dialed in on playing winning basketball has helped him silence the critics. All of Irving's teammates have spoken highly about him in Dallas, and the narratives of him being a bad teammate are long gone.

Irving is built to lead this team, and his comfortability and leadership will be crucial for this team this summer and going into next season.

1. Jason Kidd is the perfect coach to lead the Mavs

Regardless of all the flack that Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd received this season, he has proved that he is the right coach for this team. The Mavs front office obviously believes that as well, as they gave him a contract extension in the middle of this playoff run, and now he has a full summer to help this squad improve.

Kidd is admired by superstars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and he has been a great mentor for them both. He is always honest in the way he coaches them, and he tells them how it is.

He has now helped the Mavs reach the Western Conference Finals and the NBA Finals in two of his first three seasons as Dallas' head coach, and he knows how to get the most out of his teams. When Kidd has a good roster that is bought in defensively, anything is possible.

The entire roster looks up to Kidd, as most of them grew up watching him, and the Mavs have found their coach of the future. As the Mavs build upon this amazing Finals run, Kidd will know what it takes to get his team across the finish line and he will continue to grow as a coach.

For all the latest on Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks throughout the offseason and heading into next season, stay tuned.