The NBA offseason is in full swing, and Sunday was free agency’s official launch day. With players like LeBron James, Paul George, and Klay Thompson leading this year’s free agency class, many fans were curious to see where some of the best players in the league would wind up.
Many fans were eager to see what moves the Dallas Mavericks would make to improve their chances of making it back to the NBA Finals, since it was obvious that the team was in win-now mode. It should come as no surprise that Dallas traded guard Quentin Grimes to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Tim Hardaway Jr. Dallas gained another capable defender in this trade, and it also freed up much-needed cap space that allowed the team to make other moves.
The Mavericks made the unexpected decision to sign forward Naji Marshall with the money that was freed up by trading for Hardaway Jr. Late on Sunday night, the 26-year-old forward agreed to a three-year, $27 million contract with the Mavericks. Sadly, this decision meant the departure of a cherished fan favorite, Derrick Jones Jr., for those who fell in love with the Mavericks during their Finals run.
Mavericks reportedly want to sign Spencer Dinwiddie.
The Mavericks still have a lot of needs at guard even after signing Marshall. The Mavericks’ lack of creativity off the bench was exposed during their run to the Finals, but fortunately for Dallas, a former Maverick is still available to fill this huge void.
After spending just one season with the Mavericks, Spencer Dinwiddie was traded to the Brooklyn Nets as part of the deal that brought Kyrie Irving to Dallas. Even though Dinwiddie only spent one season in a Mavericks uniform, his exceptional bucket-grabbing ability helped him win over many fans. Dinwiddie averaged 17.7 points per game and a 3-point percentage while playing for the Mavericks, almost matching his career high.
Dinwiddie hasn’t played well as a Net or a Laker since being traded away from Dallas, which may be good news for his contract negotiations. The Mavericks and Dinwiddie are once again interested in each other, according to HoopsHype. Dallas would probably be able to sign the seasoned point guard for a cheap price.
There’s no denying that Dallas could benefit from having a player like Dinwiddie develop Jaden Hardy into a future asset in addition to providing production off the bench. Even though Dinwiddie was a Maverick, he and Hardy had a unique relationship that might last if the Mavericks paid enough to acquire Dinwiddie.
One could argue that Dallas’ NBA Finals matchup with the Boston Celtics might have gone differently if the Mavericks had a player of Dinwiddie’s caliber. Any competitive team could benefit from the veteran guard’s special ability to score from the middle of the court when he comes off the bench. The Mavericks now have the opportunity to acquire Dinwiddie for a reasonable cost.
Before Dinwiddie joined the Lakers last season, they were interested in signing him, and they are still interested.
Keep checking back with us for more updates on the Dallas Mavericks basketball team and their offseason activities.
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