NBA Exec Says Luka Doncic, Mavericks Are '1 Player Away' from Title Contention

One day after their season-ending loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Dallas Mavericks will turn their attention to improving the roster as they try to get over the hump in the Western Conference. 

Speaking to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, one executive for an Eastern Conference team said the Mavs are only "one player away" from being a title contender. 

MacMahon noted the executive suggested an impact center "who could be a primary [Luka] Doncic pick-and-roll partner, rebounder and rim protector" is the type of player Dallas should pursue. 

It became apparent throughout the Western Conference Finals that the Mavs' lack of a center was an issue. 

Head coach Jason Kidd did a fantastic job throughout the playoffs of hiding the flaw by building a five-out lineup. 

Per Josh Bowe of Mavs Moneyball, Kidd used the lineup of Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson, Spencer Dinwiddie, Reggie Bullock and Dorian Finney-Smith in Game 6 against the Utah Jazz for 14 minutes in the second half. 

For perspective, that group played 15 minutes together during the regular season. They outscored the Jazz by eight points and played a key role in erasing a 12-point halftime deficit with a 36-19 scoring advantage in the third quarter. 

The Ringer's Rob Mahoney noted a critical flaw for the Mavericks against Golden State was that Dwight Powell, who is the team's designated lob threat, was virtually unplayable in the series. 

Powell averaged 9.8 minutes and took five shots in five games against the Warriors. His defense in the paint was so bad that it made him virtually unplayable throughout the postseason. 

The Mavs are in a difficult spot if they want to try signing free agents. They already have $151.6 million in salary commitments next season, with Brunson eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. 

Another problem is there aren't a lot of high-level centers available. Deandre Ayton is an impending restricted free agent and might be obtainable given how things ended for him and the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs. 

Jusuf Nurkic, Bobby Portis and Montrezl Harrell are likely to be among the notable unrestricted free-agent centers, but those aren't players known for offering much on the defensive end. 

Having Doncic as their centerpiece gives the Mavs a lot of wiggle room as they try to put the right pieces around him after a successful playoff run this season.