After a few rough off-seasons in the past, the Dallas Mavericks have redeemed themselves in the last two summers, especially this summer. They used the 2014 costless agency to bring in talent that may put them top four in the Western Conference.
The Mavericks’ first order of business was to re-sign their longtime German big man Dirk Nowitzki. Generously, Nowitzki took a pay cut to allow Dallas to pursue top costless agents. Nowitzki’s new contract is three years, worth $25 million. Nowitzki, 36, had a great season last year, averaging 21.7 points and 6.2 rebounds on an efficient 49.7 percent shooting from the field. He is still the leader of this team and continues to shoot the ball at a high clip. There was no way the Dallas Mavericks were going to let go of their loyal star this off-season.
Thanks to Nowitzki taking a pay cut, the Mavericks were able to sign restricted costless agent Chandler Parsons. Dallas fascinated Parsons with a three-year, $45 million offer. Although his contract may be a bit too much, Chandler Parsons is a terrific addition to the team. Parsons has been improving his all-around game every season and is a wonderful defender. On defense, he will be a younger and more athletic version of Shawn Marion. The biggest bonus will come on the offensive end, where Parsons can shoot the three-ball, slash to the rim, and find his teammates.
The Mavericks were also involved in a huge trade this summer. They reacquired defensive big man Tyson Chandler along with Raymond Felton. Chandler figures to play the same exact role he did a few years ago with Dallas. He did, after all, have one of his best seasons with the Mavericks, and he will give them the same defensive punch he did in 2011. Felton will have to battle Jameer Nelson and Devin Harris for minutes and may fall out of favor due to his inability to remain in shape and his current off-court issues. However, when Felton is fully focused, he plays with great aggression and successfully executes pick and roll plays.
Through the trade, Dallas did lose an important piece from last season, Jose Calderon. The 32-year old veteran savvy point guard will be missed, but the Mavericks were able to replace him by re-signing Devin Harris and signing Jameer Nelson. While Calderon was struggling during last year’s playoffs, Harris was the one who played well and took up most of the minutes at the point guard position. Meanwhile, Nelson will add more three-point shooting and play making to the team.
One of the biggest losses for the Mavericks this summer was Vince Carter. He was a Sixth Man of the Year candidate due to his offensive bursts. The Mavericks have since gone on to replace Carter with a couple of players. They signed Al-Farouq Aminu and Richard Jefferson.
Jefferson is a streaky three-point shooter and, at this point in his career, that will probably be the only feature he brings to the table. Aminu, on the other hand, has outstanding size for a small forward and will bring defense and rebounding off the bench.
Re-signing Bernard James, signing Ivan Johnson and Charlie Villanueva to partially and non-guaranteed contracts respectively, and trading for Greg Smith are a few other minor moves the Mavs have made this off-season.
Bernard James may not see many minutes, but he could provide shot blocking. Greg Smith may play backup to Tyson Chandler. He is an undersized center but plays with plenty of energy and relentlessness. Ivan Johnson will provide rebounding and hustle, while Villanueva was brought in due to his ability to space the floor at the four slot. Rashard Lewis was supposed to be that stretch four, but an unfortunate knee injury forced Dallas to veto the one-year contract they gave him in July.
The Dallas Mavericks have made under the radar moves this summer and will be a powerhouse team in the Western Conference. They did lose a couple of players who were key figures from their playoff run last season but have made up for their losses in a big way.
Grade: A-
Depth Chart:
PG: Jameer Nelson/Devin Harris/Raymond Felton/Gal Mekel
SG: Monta Ellis/Richard Jefferson/Ricky Ledo
SF: Chandler Parsons/Al-Farouq Aminu/Jae Crowder/Eric Griffin
PF: Dirk Nowitzki/Brandon Wright/Ivan Johnson/Charlie Villanueva
C: Tyson Chandler/Greg Smith/Bernard James
Coach: Rick Carlisle