NBA: Dallas, Dončić hoping to contend for years to come

For the second consecutive postseason, the Dallas Mavericks were eliminated by the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round, 126-111 in a disappointing Game 7 loss. Dallas jumped out to a 2-0 series lead but failed to advance despite Luka Dončić averaging astronomical numbers: 35.7 points, 10.3 assists, 7.9 rebounds on 40.8% shooting from 3-point range. The franchise will look a lot differently going forward, though, as head coach Rick Carlisle and team president Donnie Nelson reportedly won’t return. Carlisle was with the team for 13 years and had two years remaining on his contract.

According to Tim MacMahon, Dončić is a strong supporter of assistant coach Jamahl Mosley, who is a potential replacement for Carlisle. Other possible candidates include Jason Kidd, Becky Hammon, and Ime Udoka. The next head coach will be taking over a talented team that went 42-30 and finished 5th in the Western Conference but there will also likely be a lot of roster turnover to deal with. The Mavericks have four free agents: Tim Hardaway Jr, Boban Marjanović, Nicolò Melli, and JJ Redick. The first three players, most notably Hardaway, are expected to be offered a contract from Dallas.

Mark Cuban will certainly push to re-sign Hardaway, who averaged 17.0 points on 40.4% shooting from beyond the arc in the playoffs. He’ll also put a lot of attention towards attempting to sign Dončić to a super max contract extension that he’s eligible for this summer. According to NBC Sports, Dončić is upset after Dallas recently fired team president Nelson following 24 years with the franchise. There’s no indication that has anything to do with Dončić and the Mavericks not being able to agree to a deal yet, but the contract could be worth more than $200 million over five years if the two sides come together.

Free agency begins in August and per Marc Stein, Dončić fully intends to sign the record-breaking extension. Dallas could continue to aim high and reach out to free agents DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, and Lauri Markkanen, who is a restricted free agent that has previously been linked to the Mavericks. A few other potential free agents Dallas could be interested in are Danny Green, Reggie Jackson, and E'Twaun Moore. The most impactful domino to fall during the offseason could come down to the Mavericks’ ability to trade Kristaps Porzingis if they decide to move on from him.

Porzingis struggled mightily in the first round loss to the Clippers, scoring just 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. He has dealt with multiple injuries in recent years that have clearly effected his defensive mobility, lateral quickness, off the dribble scoring, and more. If this team is going to contend for years to come with Dončić leading the way, they need to add a better second option that also fits into the offensive system in place. That could be challenging, given Porzingis is guaranteed more than $94 million over the next three years and won't be a free agent until 2025.

If Dallas decides to trade the 7’3 big man this summer, there will be plenty of teams interested but making a deal work could take time. The Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder were long considered possible destinations for Porzingis but both are likely out of the mix after swapping Al Horford and Kemba Walker. There are a couple of blockbuster deals that would vault Dallas into serious title contention. The Mavericks would have to part ways with Porzingis, Jalen Brunson, Josh Green (or Tyrell Terry), and a 2022 first round pick for either Karl-Anthony Towns or Bradley Beal.

Neither of those trades are very likely to happen but a more realistic offer could be Porzingis for Kevin Love, Gordon Hayward, Andrew Wiggins, and Myles Turner. No matter which direction Cuban and the Mavericks decide to go, they’ll be putting all of their chips with Dončić, who is a potential 2022 MVP. After signing him to a supermax extension in early August, Dallas will turn their attention to re-signing Hardaway and filling out a more dynamic roster (with or without Porzingis) ahead of next year, which will also be their first under a new head coach since 2009.

Photo Credit: LA Times.