Mavs hoping to finally land big fish in free agency
The starting lineup the Dallas Mavericks used to open their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets in April could be completely different by the time they tip off next season.
Success by the Mavericks in free agency, however, could help make for a much softer landing.
As emergency signals go, the Mavericks need plenty of help in the backcourt and in the front court. And they need it quickly if they plan on winning another title before Dirk Nowitzki — he’s 37 years old — figures he’s finally had enough and hangs up his legendary sneakers.
One way the Mavericks can get back in the NBA championship picture in a hurry is via free agency. And with so many marquee players available, including LaMarcus Aldridge, DeAndre Jordan, Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Love, the Mavericks are hoping to finally hit the jackpot when free-agency negotiations start Wednesday. Players can be signed July 9.
In the summer of 2012 the Mavericks missed out on free-agent hopeful Deron Williams. Two years ago Dwight Howard and Chris Paul headlined top free agents who spurned the Mavericks.
And last summer LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony were among those who decided to take their talents elsewhere rather than sign with Dallas.
“Free agency is so unpredictable, as you guys know,” said Nowitzki, who hosted his fourth annual Heroes Celebrity Baseball Game at Dr Pepper Ballpark on Saturday. “One little move — if you sign one of the big guys — can change everything.
“Then all of a sudden people want to come here and play for a lot less money than they usually would. So we’ll just have to stay tuned and hear what happens here after July 1.”
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and the team’s president of basketball operations, Donnie Nelson, will certainly make more than their share of phone calls in the days leading up to free agency. That’s because a help-wanted sign should be emblazoned in huge neon lights outside of the Mavericks’ headquarters.
The starting lineup for Dallas in Game 1 of their playoff series against the Rockets had Rajon Rondo and Monta Ellis in the backcourt, Tyson Chandler at center and Nowitzki and Chandler Parsons at forwards. That entire lineup could be altered by opening day.
Rondo and the Mavericks mutually parted ways midway through the playoff series against the Rockets, and Ellis opted out of the final year of his contract last week. Chandler is an unrestricted free agent. Parsons is coming off knee surgery and there is no timetable set for his return.
Nowitzki, meanwhile, might be asked to come off the bench at his advanced age if the Mavericks can find someone suitable and deserving to assume his starting power forward position.
In addition to Rondo, Ellis and Chandler, the other Mavericks free agents are Al-Farouq Aminu, Amar’e Stoudemire, J.J. Barea, Charlie Villanueva, Richard Jefferson and Greg Smith. The Mavericks also have a team option of $845,059 on Dwight Powell, and can issue Bernard James a qualifying offer of $1.18 million.
All in all, management has its hands full trying to stitch together a team after finishing 50-32 last season and being eliminated in five games by the Rockets in the playoffs. But Cuban isn’t willing to discuss any of his team’s free-agency plans as the Mavericks attempt to get out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time since they won the 2011 NBA title.
“I’m not even going to get into all the free-agency stuff,” Cuban said. “There’s just no point.
“We understand what we need to do and we understand what our options are. And we’re going to be opportunistic as we always are, and see what happens.”
Coach Rick Carlisle is so optimistic that he expressed the thought of Ellis returning and re-signing with the Mavericks if the mercurial shooting guard can’t find what he’s looking for on the open market.
“It’s three months, and guys like Monta end up going places in July most of the time,” Carlisle said of free agency. “You just never know, and I know there are teams with strong interest in him.
“And there is a full amount of cap room out there this summer. So, there will be a lot going on with him and a lot of other free agents, too.”
Nowitzki, nonetheless, has resigned himself to not having Ellis in a Mavs’ uniform again.
“For him to get one really last big deal to me was a no-brainer,” Nowitzki said. “I think he was great for us for the two years here.
“He always played high minutes … he was a warrior for us. I would have liked to have kept him, but you know how it is in this league.”
The Mavericks certainly do. Especially when it comes to landing a big fish in free agency, which they have yet to do — the re-signing of Nowitzki during his free-agent forays notwithstanding.
“Nobody knows what’s going to happen,” Nowitzki said. “We’ve got a lot of roster spots to fill out and it’s going to be a busy time for this franchise and for Mark and Donnie here this week.
“They’re looking to make this team better again. And the major goal is obviously eventually to get out of the first round [of the playoffs] again.”
Dwain Price, 817-390-7760
This story was originally published June 27, 2015 at 9:11 PM with the headline "Mavs hoping to finally land big fish in free agency."