After miraculously winning the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, the Dallas Mavericks set their sights on solving their biggest issue.
On top of their offseason priorities is filling the glaring hole in their backcourt in the wake of Kyrie Irving‘s ACL tear.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported at the NBA Draft Combine that the Mavericks will prioritize adding a point guard to their roster.
“I’m told the Mavericks will be pursuing a point guard,” Charania said, “whether that’s in the trade market, or in free agency. That’s a big priority for them. Kyrie Irving is targeting potentially sometime in January to make his return. We’ll see which point guard they can have as a plug-and-play for them.”
Getty Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks lies on the court after suffering an injury in the first half against the Sacramento Kings.
The Mavericks will not have big spending power in free agency to as they will operate as an apron team.
An increased payroll brought by Flagg’s rookie-scale contract as the No.1 pick and an expected lucrative extension for Irving, who has a $43 million player option will put them above the two aprons, according to ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks.
The trade route would be their best option to add a starting-caliber point guard.
“They’re going to have, they do have tradable contracts. I think they are going to look to add to that team in a very meaningful way,” Charania said.
The NBA insider noted that the Mavericks will build around Irving, Flagg and Anthony Davis as the team’s core.
Flagg’s arrival leads to questions about PJ Washington‘s long-term future in Dallas. Washington is eligible to sign a four-year, $89.2 million extension.
The veteran forward is a valuable trade chip for the Mavericks as an expiring contract ($14.1 million).
Free Agent Point Guard Options
In free agency, Dallas can add a point guard via the veteran’s minimum or the taxpayer midlevel exception. Gaining access to the $5.2 million taxpayer midlevel exception will depend on what they do with Irving and Washington’s contract situations.
Fred VanVleet is out of their price range. The champion point guard is likely to return to Houston on a new deal. He has a $44.9 million team option.
That leaves unrestricted free agents Chris Paul, D’Angelo Russell, Malcolm Brodgon, Tre Jones, Gary Payton II and Spencer Dinwiddie as their potential options.
It will be a busy summer for Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison.
Cooper Flagg on Joining Ready-Made Mavericks Team
GettyCooper Flagg appears to be on his way to Dallas.
According to ESPN’s draft expert Jonathan Givony, Flagg is looking forward to joining a Mavericks team that, if healthy, is a strong contender in the stacked Western Conference.
“Though Flagg initially looked shocked by the results of Monday’s draft lottery, sources told ESPN that his camp realized how fortunate he is to land in Dallas. Flagg is said to be thrilled by the idea of joining a playoff-caliber roster with strong veterans and a team that has a void at the small forward position. The Mavericks have a need for shot creators and will need Flagg to shoulder significant offensive responsibility as a rookie (similar to what we saw at Duke), which will be great for his long-term development,” Givony said.
Flagg will slot in as the small forward next to Davis and Dereck Lively II.
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