The Olympics are in the rearview mirror and NBA teams are beginning to prepare for training camps. We kick-off our previews out West looking at the Dallas Mavericks who are fresh off a surprise run to the NBA Finals sparked by a pair of shrewd deadline swings. In these previews, we will take a look at each team’s key acquisitions, fantasy stars, and predicted finish.
Key Acquisitions
The Mavs were able to retain five of the six players who logged the most minutes for them throughout the postseason with Derrick Jones Jr. – who inked a three-year, $30 million with the Clippers – the lone departee.
In one of the biggest bangs of the offseason, the Mavs were able to engineer a sign-and-trade which sees five-time All-Star Klay Thompson link up with the franchise on a three-year, $50 million deal after 13 seasons with the Warriors.
Thompson is coming off an up-and-down season in which he was demoted to the bench in February before returning to the starting lineup to close the season.
The Warriors fell short of the playoffs going down to the Kings in the play-in as Thompson finished the year averaging 17.9 ppg shooting 38.7% on 9.0 nightly threes.
Dallas projects as a dream destination for the four-time NBA champion who still has value to offer as a white-hot shooter even if his brutal injury history has begun to catch up with him.
The Mavs also bolstered their wing and backcourt depth with the additions of Naji Marshall, Quentin Grimes, and Spencer Dinwiddie who all should see playing time for head coach Jason Kidd.
The trio will look to slot into the rotational holes left by the departures of Jones Jr., Tim Hardaway Jr., and Josh Green.
Fantasy Stars
Luka Dončić (3rd overall, 1st PG/1st SG) enters the year as the NBA’s MVP favourite having averaged 33.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg, and 9.8 apg en route to his fifth consecutive All-NBA 1st Team nod.
Kyrie Irving (33rd overall, 16th PG/16th SG) meanwhile enjoyed perhaps his best campaign since departing Cleveland back in 2017 putting up 25.6 ppg and 5.2 apg on 60.8 TS%.
Projected Finish
The Mavs finished with 50 wins a year ago to secure the West’s No.5 seed and will internally set that mark as their floor heading into this season.
They finished just one win out of the play-in but, given the moves they have made roster-wise since last year’s deadline, project to finish closer to the top of the conference than the middle of it.
