The Dallas Mavericks were a mess heading into the playoffs and to the surprise of no one, were unceremoniously dumped out of the first round by James Harden and the Houston Rockets in 5 games. The Rajon Rondo experiment did not pan out as expected, as a clash of personalities with Coach Rick Carlisle, as well as lack of chemistry with the former Celtics point guard in the Mavericks offense led to Rondo’s departure. The Mavericks sited a ‘back injury’ ruling Rondo out for the majority of their series with the Rockets, although it was quite clear to anyone paying attention, and recent reports have confirmed, that that was just an excuse. So with Rajon Rondo gone never to return and superstar forward Dirk Nowitzki now starting to show his age, many are left wondering ‘where do the Mavericks go from here?’ Don’t turn off the lights yet, Dallas may be just getting started.

Firstly, the only major players under guaranteed contracts for next season are Dirk Nowitzki, Chandler Parsons and Devin Harris with the majority of the team looking to enter free agency this coming off season. Along with the previously mentioned Rondo, Tyson Chandler, Richard Jefferson, Charlie Villanueva and J.J Barea are free to walk and sign elsewhere. Meanwhile Monta Ellis, Al Farouq Aminu and Raymond Felton all have player options they can choose to pick up, with Ellis’ future being the biggest concern of the three. That leaves Dallas with a huge chunk of cap space to make some moves, and when listing off those players it’s no surprise they weren’t serious contenders after all.

A few high profile names have bounced around in free agency discussions and despite being still under contract with the Denver Nuggets for $25 million over the next two seasons, Ty Lawson is a name being thrown out there. With behavior off the court this season being a major issue (Lawson was arrested for DUI and also late to practice and pre game shoot-around) this has caused many to speculate that the Denver star wants out of the Mile High City, with Dallas the ideal landing spot. The rumour began to take life when the Nuggets star took to his Instagram account and responded to fan comments stating he was ‘way better’ than Rajon Rondo as well as replying with ‘I wish’ in regard to the Mavericks trading for him. Lawson deleted the comments but the images have re-surfaced on the internet recently. The Nuggets seemed to tease the idea of trading Lawson throughout the year and Dallas would certainly be an interesting fit. Despite his off court problems, Lawson is in the prime of his career having averaged 15 points and 9 assists this season and is one of the most underrated players in the league. The Mavericks need a starting point guard and the thought of Lawson in a Mavs jersey is pretty exciting but due to the size of the his contract, it may require a sign and trade type package to get him and that opportunity may have left with Rajon Rondo. Although Denver seem likely to trade Lawson, Dallas may just not have the pieces to get him. Never count out Mark Cuban though.

Legendary Power Forward Dirk Nowitzki has stated he is willing to take a bench role in order for the Mavericks to contend next season. Enter LaMarcus Aldridge, who when asked if he will re-sign with Portland stated ‘We’ll See’. Aldridge looks to be number one on the Mavericks' list of offseason free agent signings and has been on the cusp of leaving Portland before. With the Lakers, Spurs, Knicks and Celtics all vying for Aldridge’s signature, the Mavericks will need to prove they can contend for the star forward to be interested, as the Lakers, Knicks and Blazers can all offer more money. Averaging 23 points and 10 rebounds, Aldridge would provide the inside presence that Dirk once was and the Mavericks would have a new cornerstone to build around. Portland have also not been able to reach any farther than the second round of the playoffs since Aldridge has been there and while Damien Lillard is seemingly being pushed as the new face of the franchise, it is assumed an exit could be likely. As mentioned, the Spurs have thrown their name in the hat but with the four time NBA All Star previously expressing his desire to play in a big market, Dallas could get a slight nudge in front. Aldridge also is a Dallas native, and could certainly pull a ‘LeBron James’ and head back home for next season.

The future of Tyson Chandler in Dallas now looks uncertain, as DeAndre Jordan has reportedly expressed his interest in signing with the Mavericks next season. The Clippers' center is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and will be free to listen to offers. Spending his entire NBA career in Los Angeles so far, Jordan had a monster year in 2015, leading the league in rebounding and field goal percentage, with 15 per game and 71 percent respectively. Although his defensive prowess can be overhyped, (looking at you, Doc Rivers) the 7 footer did finish 4th overall in blocked shots. If the Mavericks are looking for youth, DeAndre will be an ideal target as the 26 year old has a lot less mileage than current center Chandler who is 32. However, as with Aldridge, if Jordan wants to earn maximum money then Dallas may not be the right option. Depending on the franchise, he may be offered a max contract in free agency which could work against Dallas but it is certainly a good sign that there is mutual interest and that the Clippers star is willing to listen to offers.