The Semi-Finals in the Eastern & Western conferences in the NBA concluded this past weekend, and the Conference Finals matchups begin on Tuesday, May 16th starting with the Denver Nuggets vs. the Los Angeles Lakers, and then on Wednesday, May 17th we get to see the beginning of Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals for the 3rd time in 4 years. Here are some players from the losing teams that the Mavericks should pursue.
Golden State Warriors
Of all the losing teams, the Warriors may have the most players that would be instant fits into what Dallas wants to build their roster into. With the Warriors going into the off-season WAY over the salary cap, and well above the 2nd luxury tax apron, the Warriors will have to make some tough decisions with some of their aging veterans and also their young developing players. Enter the Dallas Mavericks. Depending on the decision of Draymond Green on his player option for next season with the Warriors, Golden State will be looking at employing 5 separate players north of $24 million each next season. The Warriors simply won’t pay an astronomic luxury tax bill for a team that showed it was not championship level. Whether they decide to offload veterans and go for younger talent around Steph Curry, or decide to retain their original Big 3 of Curry, Green & Klay Thompson, will decide which players will be attainable for Dallas. The dream scenario would be for Dallas to acquire versatile forward Andrew Wiggins to help stabilize their defense on the perimeter and provide Luka and Kyrie with a reliable scoring option in the starting lineup. On a smaller scale, Donte DiVincenzo would be a fantastic pickup by Dallas with all or a portion of their Mid-Level Exception and most likely will be a player that the Warriors will choose not to retain due to salary cap troubles. There should also be interest in journeyman JaMychal Green to fulfill a bench role for Dallas. We will have to wait and see to which direction Golden State decides to go, but either way, Dallas will have opportunities to address some glaring needs on their roster if they choose to be aggressive enough.
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks failed to reach the conference finals, losing in 6 games to the Miami Heat, but this season was a success. It seems like the days of Knicks’ Governor James Dolan hindering the team’s pathway to success have ended, with the majority of the transactions made by the Knicks’ front office being glaring successes over the past couple of seasons. They enter the off-season with a slew of draft capital, some promising young prospects, and an above-average salary cap situation. Not to mention, Jalen Brunson (drive a stake into my wounded heart), took the next leap in solidifying himself as a surefire #2 on a championship contender and a #1 on a lower level playoff contender. New York has done everything right thus far, now they need to make a decision. Pool together your assets to bring in a bonafide #1 option to pair with Brunson, or re-tool some of the roster to better suit Brunson’s needs and run it back. New York will have to decide whether to extend players like Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley within the next 12 months or so, or to move them. They also will most likely decline Derrick Rose’s team option for next season and will do their best to move off of veteran wing Evan Fournier’s contract, both of whom have not been mainstays in the Knicks’ rotation by any means. The only realistic option for Dallas is likely Obi Toppin. He’s a young, athletic wing/forward that could find quality minutes in the Mavericks’ rotation. The Knicks’ ultimate goal of upgrading their roster do not align with what Dallas is looking for in a trade partner. If either of Knicks’ centers, Mitchell Robinson or Isaiah Hartenstein, were to become available for the right price then Dallas should entertain the idea. However, don’t expect another trade involving the Mavericks and Knicks coming to fruition anytime soon.
Philadelphia 76ers
WOOF. That’s the word that pretty much sums up the 76ers’ exit from this season’s playoffs. After going up 3 games to 2 in the semi-finals against the Boston Celtics, they squandered away the opportunity to close out the series at home in game 6 and then suffered a mesmerizing blowout loss in game 7 in Boston. The future for the 76ers right now is a mystery but change of some degree is certain. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey will remain in Philly, but outside of that, everyone will be made available. James Harden is widely expected to leave as a free agent, and rumored to be interested in returning to Houston to play for the Rockets. Outside of Embiid, there are no guaranteed contracts on the books for Philadelphia past the 2023-2024 season. Dallas should not be interested in taking on the expiring roughly $39 million of Tobias Harris’ contract, but a veteran like PJ Tucker would fulfill a significant role in Dallas. Tucker provides the veteran presence, defensive toughness and locker room chemistry needed for a team like the Mavericks. PJ has played on 4 teams in the past 4 seasons, Dallas should be the 5th. Another player Dallas should go after is impending free agent, Paul Reed. Reed has played 3 seasons in Philadelphia and has never solidified a prominent role in their rotation, with this season being his highest minutes-wise at 10.9 minutes per game in 69 appearances. Reed is the type of young, low-cost big man that Dallas needs to be looking at bringing in. For a team like Dallas, with limited options at upgrading their roster and a negative salary cap situation, Reed would be the type of signing that could prove to be a monumental step in improving the depth of their roster.
Phoenix Suns
Phoenix heads into the off-season with possibly the hardest pathway to consistent contention. Kevin Durant and Devin Booker is one of the best 1-2 duos in the NBA, but everything outside of them is an absolute mess. After being blown out in an elimination game in the Western Semi-Finals for the 2nd year in a row, the Suns just announced this past weekend the firing of head coach Monty Williams. Pair the new head coach search with the decisions ahead on whether or not to part ways with Chris Paul and DeAndre Ayton, and Phoenix has plenty of individual decisions to make that they hope will collectively put them into a contender spot immediately. The only players the Mavericks should want from the Suns would be the aforementioned Paul and Ayton. However, operating under the mindset that Kyrie Irving will return to Dallas, Chris Paul has no fit with the current Dallas situation and Ayton’s contract is an albatross that Dallas should be wary of taking on. Ayton’s skillset is something Dallas craves and desperately needs, but the contract and the issues with Ayton’s on-court play being inconsistent just doesn’t make sense for Dallas to seriously pursue. Ayton’s name has already been rumored multiple times in connection with the Mavericks, and the off-season is still over a month from officially beginning. It wouldn’t be terrible if Dallas were to pursue a trade for Ayton but it shouldn’t be near the top of their list of off-season options.