NBA Free Agency: 3 Players Dallas Mavericks Should Pursue Without Deron Williams

With Deron Williams official list of teams narrowed down to the Dallas Mavericks or the Brooklyn Nets, where he signs has become one of the most intriguing story lines of the NBA offseason.

Williams is expected to make his decision within the next few days, but it is important for the Mavericks to be prepared for Williams to sign with Brooklyn.

After all, the Nets have, without a doubt, the more attractive team considering that they already have traded for Joe Johnson and could still possibly land Dwight Howard in the near future.

If Brooklyn manages to trade for Howard, Williams would be hard pressed to shun the Nets and an opportunity to play in a big three that could rival the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference.

Despite being in Williams hometown, Dallas provides less of an attractive future for Williams. The idea of playing with Dirk Nowitzki may be intriguing, but other than that Dallas has few exciting roster pieces at the moment. 

It is possible that they could by the end of the summer, considering their large amount of cap space, but it is doubtful Williams would want to sit around and wait to see who Dallas could come up with.

So if Dallas doesn't land Williams, they will need to go in another direction to guarantee that they stay in contention next season. For Dallas, signing at least one of these three player is essential if they can't sign Williams. 

Eric Gordon

Other than Deron Williams, Eric Gordon is the best guard on the free-agent market. 

Gordon is a restricted free agent, so his old team, the New Orleans Hornets, can match whatever deal Dallas offers Gordon. However, with Austin Rivers and Anthony Davis coming in, it's possible that New Orleans will not want to shell out a max contract to Gordon.

Gordon would be seeking a max deal, which is a lot for the Mavs to pay, but Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson have done a great job so far this offseason of creating cap space so Dallas can afford to make moves like this.

Gordon is a dynamic wing scorer, and a Gordon-Dirk combo could be one of the most lethal in the West. 

Plus at age 23, he would give Dallas a potential superstar when Nowitzki's skill begins to decline.

Steve Nash

It may not be likely that Dallas could re-sign their former star point guard Steve Nash, but it would be smart of them to pursue him.

The Raptors are offering Nash an insane deal worth three years and $36 million that Dallas cannot and will not match, but the Raptors are nowhere close to Dallas in terms of talent even with their depleted roster.

If Nash wanted to be reunited with Dirk, there is no doubt the Mavs could put a few more pieces together surrounding the two of them to be contenders for the next season or two. 

It's not a long-term solution, but if they miss Williams, Nash is the second best point guard on the market and would make the Mavs contenders once again.

Jeremy Lin

After his explosion on the scene for the Knicks last year, Jeremy Lin is now becoming one of the most attractive free agents this offseason.

If Dallas was to pursue Lin, it would certainly not only improve the team, but also make the Mavs one of the more exciting teams in the league.

The Mavs have already shown interest in Lin and it would be fascinating to see if he could repeat his performance from last season with a new team.

The Mavericks need a point guard desperately with Jason Kidd likely on the way out. Kirk Heinrich or Delonte West are possible suitors, but only if Dallas is unable to land Williams, Nash, or Lin.

Coming off of their disappointing title defense last season, it is important for the Mavericks to make a splash in free agency, and if they miss out on Williams, signing one of these three players is a must.