The Dallas Mavericks are one team that is probably disappointed that the NBA All-Star break is here. They have been playing some great basketball as of late, winning eight of their last 11 games. Since the calendar turned to 2022 they have really found their stride, going 18-6.
That has helped them get into the fifth spot in the Western Conference, four games clear of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who sit in seventh place, the first spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament. The turnaround in play likely is what led to the trade deadline that the team had.
Dallas made only one deal, trading away Kristaps Porzingis and getting back Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. It was a shocking deal, as Dallas isn’t saving any money and surrendered a second-round pick as well. But, the team no longer saw Poringis as a fit and jumped at the opportunity to move him.
However, the decision to pull the trigger on that deal could have some other ramifications. Dallas no longer has an open roster spot to sign a player that reaches the buyout market. Many presumed the team would target Goran Dragic with that spot, as they have been linked to him for months.
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However, general manager Nico Harrison made it seem like the Dallas Mavericks were done making moves following the trade deadline. They certainly don’t sound like a team that will be pursuing Goran Dragic, who officially became a free agent on Thursday.
“We think we know who all is going to get bought out,” Harrison told Dalton Trigg on the Mavs Step Back Podcast. “But at the end of the day, we have 15 roster spots already filled, and for us to bring someone in, whoever that person could be, we’d have to release somebody, and I don’t think we want to do that.”
Pinpointing who would even be bought out or waived to bring on Dragic isn’t easy. The only candidate would seemingly be Frank Ntilikina, whose contract for the 2022-23 season is not fully guaranteed. Trey Burke has a player option for the 2022-23 season, so it is unlikely he would negotiate a buyout at this time.
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Despite the hurdles the team would have to go through to bring on Dragic, it is something that Luka Doncic sounds like he wants to happen.
“He’s my guy,” Doncic said. “Everybody would want their guys on their team, so we’ll see.”
If it is something that will make Luka Doncic happy, the front office will certainly consider it. But, at the end of the day, they have to do what they think is best for the team. If Harrison and his staff believe the roster is best the way that it is right now, then that is how it will remain until an option presents itself to improve the team.
