1. Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks have been able to do some good things this offseason. They signed Sterling Brown and Reggie Bullock to help improve the team’s defense and 3-point shooting. They are both solid complementary players to Luka Doncic.
But, the one thing they did not do this offseason was land the secondary ball-handler they wanted to pair with Doncic. Goran Dragic has been one player the Mavericks had hoped to land, but they have been hesitant to trade for him after landing with the Toronto Raptors as part of the Kyle Lowry sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat.
Acquiring another person that can handle the ball and create some offense would help take pressure off of his shoulders and take the offense to another level.
Too often last season the responsibility to create for himself and others fell solely on Doncic. Acquiring a player of D’Angelo Russell’s caliber would cross that item off of the Mavericks’ to-do list.
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Russell would thrive as the secondary playmaker alongside Doncic in the starting backcourt for the Mavericks. He would get open looks he hasn’t seen throughout his career, which should increase his efficiency. Russell is coming off of the best effective field goal shooting season of his career in the 2020-21 season and it should only improve more playing alongside Doncic.
