How the Dallas Mavericks Could Make a LaMarcus Aldridge Signing Work

LaMarcus Aldridge and the Dallas Mavericks have eyes for one another, and it's from this reciprocal gaze that a free-agency match could be born.

Before the Portland Trail Blazers' first-round playoff jaunt even ended, Marc Stein of ESPN.com cited the Mavericks as one of the looming threats to whisk Aldridge away in free agency.

Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher seconded that theory midway through the NBA Finals, identifying Dallas and the San Antonio Spurs as two destinations outside Portland that will appeal to Aldridge.

Soon after, just as the NBA Finals was coming to an end, Dirk Nowitzki left nothing to chance, telling reporters of Aldridge, per ESPN.com' Tim MacMahon, “We’d love to have him."

Ever the candid purveyor of information, Nowitzki, more so than anyone else, has made things easy for the rest of us: The Mavericks are coming for Aldridge. And relative to much of the field, they don't have to do anything too special or creative.

The Spurs, as previously outlined, have a ton of hoops they'll need to jump through in order to clear space for a max-contract star such as Aldridge. If both Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili return—likely—they need to hope both take the requisite pay cuts. They'll then have to dump at least Tiago Splitter via trade, and it's entirely possible Danny Green, a free agent, becomes collateral damage of an Aldridge signing.

Giving chase to Aldridge is simpler for the Mavericks, though it will involve more than practiced handshakes and charismatic smiles.

Nine-year veterans are eligible for max salaries that account for 30 percent of the salary cap in the first year of any new deal, according Larry Coon's CBA FAQ. Basketball Related Income (BRI) does come into play and usually drags that salary below the 30 percent threshold, but that initial figure is still a good baseline.

Thirty percent of next season's salary cap—$67.1 million, per Draft Express' Jonathan Givony—is roughly $20.1 million. This is the amount of cap space for which the Mavericks must aim.

That doesn't appear to be a problem when looking at their books. They have just under $28.1 million in guaranteed commitments on next season's ledger.

But that $28.1 million is being doled out to three players: Devin Harris, Chandler Parsons and Nowitzki. Gal Mekel, whom the Mavericks waived using the stretch provision, represents some of that hit, but since he's not on the roster, we can still roll with just the three players.

This doesn't take into account the nearly $4 million player option Raymond Felton has already exercised. For the sake of having bodies, let's also assume the Mavericks bring back Dwight Powell at his roughly $800,000 salary.

They need to pay their first-round draft pick as well. The No. 21 pick in this year's selection extravaganza will earn around $1.2 million, per RealGM. 

Tack on the extra $6 million they'll have to pay Felton, Powell and No. 21 to the other $28.1 million, and the Mavericks will have $34.1 million devoted to six players. Even after factoring in the requisite minimum cap holds—$525,093 for every open roster spot below the league-imposed minimum of 12—the Mavericks can have as little as $37.3 million in contracts on their books.

That leaves them with more than enough wiggle room to accommodate Aldridge.

Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press

Here's the thing: This assumes the Mavericks will renounce the rights to, and then part ways with, free agents Al-Farouq Aminu, J.J. Barea, Tyson Chandler, Monta Ellis (player option) and Rajon Rondo. While Rondo is as good as gone, it's beyond unlikely they bid farewell to each of the other three.

Aldridge can spend some time at center, but he doesn't provide the rim protection or defensive leadership of Chandler; Aminu proved to be a defensive boon during Dallas' five-game playoff journey and posted the second-best net rating of any rotation player, behind only Barea; Ellis led the team in scoring last season; and Barea himself plays well under head coach Rick Carlisle.

At the same time, the Mavericks, it seems, are open to anything. MacMahon says that if Ellis opts out of his deal, the team is prepared to let him walk.

That, if nothing else, is proof of the Mavericks' flexibility. The best way to determine what an Aldridge signing would entail, then, is to just throw his projected salary onto the pile and move forward.

Below, you'll see what the Mavericks could be working with at most after landing Aldridge:

Players	2015-16 Salary
LaMarcus Aldridge	$20,100,000
Chandler Parsons	$15,361,500
Dirk Nowitzki	$8,333,334
Devin Harris	$4,053,446
Raymond Felton	$3,950,313
No. 21 Pick	$1,207,500
Dwight Powell	$845,059
Minimum Cap Holds	Five @ $525,093 = $2,625,465
Total	$56,476,617
Salary Cap	$67,100,000
Difference	$10,623,383

Signing Aldridge will leave the Mavericks with around $10.6 million to spend before accounting for the return of Aminu, Chandler and Ellis, which isn't even close to enough for all three.

If Ellis opts into the last year of his deal, the Mavericks will have just $1.9 million of breathing room. There's no guarantee that's even enough to re-sign Aminu, who is due for a raise from the $1.1 million he's slated to earn next season.

Successfully wooing Aldridge kills the idea of bringing back Chandler altogether. The Mavericks could cut it financially if Ellis leaves, but there isn't room for Aldridge, Chandler, Nowitzki and Parsons in the same starting lineup.

Pursuing Aldridge is basically an admittance that they're going to run him out at center. They can sign him, theoretically retain Ellis and Aminu and then field a starting lineup consisting of Aldridge, Nowitzki, Parsons, Ellis and Harris, with Aminu, Felton and their first-rounder coming off the bench.

And that's not a horrible place to be. The Mavericks would still project as a wildly explosive offensive team. But they would regress defensively, and they were already strained on that end of the floor.

Using their first-rounder—the player they actually end up with, since they owe their 2016 selection to the Boston Celtics and cannot trade draft picks in consecutive years—to pawn off Felton's expiring pact could open upward of $5 million in cap space. That's money the Mavericks can reinvest in Barea and some second-unit rim protection, perhaps making a run at Ed Davis or, on the even lower end, Cole Aldrich and Joel Anthony.

Now, if Ellis leaves and the Mavericks are able to pull off the Felton salary dump, they'll have approximately $14 million to burn through after paying Aldridge. But at that point, they would still need to re-sign Aminu, nab a starting shooting guard, add some rim protection and land at least one more point man.

Sam Forencich/Getty Images

None of that is especially appealing. It is, however, necessary. With so much money tied up in Aldridge, Parsons and Nowitzki, the Mavericks would be married to a shallow rotation, irrespective of whether they retain Ellis.

Which, truthfully, makes some sense for them. They can tread water for another season and hope to pitch free agents on a core of Aldridge, Parsons and Nowitzki in 2016, when the salary cap is set to spike.

Does it make sense for Aldridge? That's the real question.

As Kurt Helin writes for ProBasketballTalk:

"

Aldridge has some decisions to make. How much does going home to Texas matter? At age 30, how much does the fifth guaranteed year that Portland alone can offer matter? In terms of legacy and getting a ring, would he be closer in Dallas with Nowitzki than in Portland with Damian Lillard?

This is Aldridge’s last big kick at the can in terms of salary. He’s got to get this one right.

"

Getting to Dallas won't be an issue. If Aldridge wants it to happen, the Mavericks have the means to make it happen.

It's what comes next—heading into 2015-16 and beyond, when the Mavericks will be tasked with filling out the rest of the roster to a championship degree before Nowitzki retires—that's the problem.

Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com unless otherwise cited. Salary information via Basketball-Insiders.

Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @danfavale.