5 Realistic Targets for Dallas Mavericks to Chase in 2015 NBA Free Agency
The Dallas Mavericks will have a lot of options in free agency this summer. The team could clear up enough cap space to make a splash with a major free agent or keep some of its core members and look for minor reinforcements.
The Mavs could potentially have just four players under contract when the free-agency doors open July 1. Monta Ellis will reportedly opt out of his contract, per ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon. Al-Farouq Aminu should do the same, considering that he has outperformed his tiny contract by a wide margin.
That leaves only Chandler Parsons, Dirk Nowitzki, Raymond Felton and Devin Harris on guaranteed deals. The Mavs will have to address the cap holds of Tyson Chandler and Ellis, but the opportunity to spend big is certainly there.
Team owner Mark Cuban is always looking to make a splash, and the highest-rated free agents will be at the top of his wish list. Even if the franchise-changing players turn out to be unattainable, there is plenty of intriguing talent up for grabs.
Dallas has a lot of holes to fill. Addressing rim protection will have to take priority. However, with Ellis potentially leaving, finding a competent starting backcourt duo will also be of utmost importance.
All salary information is courtesy of HoopsHype, unless otherwise noted.
DeAndre Jordan
1 of 5
2014-15 Salary: $11.4 million
DeAndre Jordan will likely be one of the first dominoes to drop once free agency commences.
The Los Angeles Clippers center is an unrestricted free agent and will be able to control his own future. He is reportedly at the top of Dallas' wish list, and the Mavs are unlikely to ink any deals before they know whether Jordan is willing to leave the Clippers.
According MacMahon, the Mavericks are already considering a sign-and-trade that would send Chandler and Felton to the Clippers in return for Jordan:
"A sign-and-trade swap of the centers, which has been mentioned in Mavs front-office offseason brainstorming sessions, would make a lot of sense for all of the involved parties.
Jordan has all the leverage in this situation. If he decides to leave Lob City, Clippers coach and president of basketball operations Doc Rivers would be crazy not to cooperate in this scenario. It’s the only way the Clippers could get a legitimate replacement for Jordan next season.
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This would undoubtedly be the ideal first signing for Dallas. It would likely be able to force Los Angeles to take Felton's expiring deal. Even if it were just the two centers trading places, this would be a positive move for the Mavs.
Jordan wouldn't be cheap. He will get a max offer this summer, whether it's from the Clippers or someone else.
Jordan's max deal would be in the vicinity of $19 million in the first year, whereas Dallas could perhaps bring Chandler back for somewhere around $12 million per year if going for Plan B.
Even so, chasing Jordan is a no-brainer. He is 26 years old, hasn't missed a game in four seasons and is a more explosive version of Chandler. He's entering his prime and would help the team in the present while being a solid building block for the future.
If Jordan re-signs with the Clippers, Dallas will likely look to bring back Chandler at a discount and move on to alternative targets.
Patrick Beverley
2 of 5
2014-15 Salary: $915,000
With Rajon Rondo out, Dallas will eventually have to look for a point guard. Even though the position has one of the deepest talent pools the league has ever seen, this summer's free agency is lacking in the floor-general department.
It's about time that Dallas moved away from signing placeholder point guards for a year at time. Patrick Beverley could be an option.
He will be a restricted free agent, and it will take a hefty bid for the Houston Rockets not to match any offer sheet Beverley may sign. But the Mavericks snatched Parsons with a juicy offer last season, so it's not impossible to land Beverley.
It's tough to gauge what type of an offer Houston wouldn't match. Anything up to $5 million per year would be a no-brainer. But if Dallas decides to inch closer to an eight-figure offer for the Rockets' starting point guard, it would be a tough pill to swallow.
Houston already has Dwight Howard, Trevor Ariza and James Harden locked into long-term deals. Donatas Motiejunas and Terrence Jones will also be eligible for expensive extensions. At the same time, the Rockets would be smart to maintain as much flexibility as possible for 2016, when the cap will rise significantly.
Dallas might get Beverley at around $10 million per year, but it's not an easy amount to cough up. However, overpaying for an offensively limited point guard will also be easier to digest with the cap set to explode.
Beverley might not blow anyone away, but he could be the type of player Dallas needs. He can stretch the floor and is one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. He is hard-nosed and tough, the type opponents hate going up against.
Danny Green
3 of 5
2014-15 Salary: $4 million
Assuming Monta opts out, Dallas would be silly not to explore its options for a new shooting guard. Danny Green is a viable one.
Green is due his first massive deal, and every dollar will count. The San Antonio Spurs also have plenty of cap room this summer, although a huge chunk of that could be gone when Kawhi Leonard signs a max deal. Tim Duncan, Marco Belinelli and Manu Ginobili are unrestricted free agents as well.
If the Spurs spend most of their money on extending their own free agents, they won't have enough room to chase superstars. If Dallas acts fast, it could snatch Green while San Antonio hunts for bigger fish.
Green has thrived under head coach Gregg Popovich, and it's safe to assume he'd like to stay put if San Antonio compensates him fairly. But if Dallas offers more money, that stance could change.
A multiyear deal in the vicinity of $12 million per year isn't an unreasonable price to pay for Green. A lot of his success and value is inflated by the seamless fit in San Antonio, but his skill set would transfer well to Dallas.
Green is one of the best perimeter defenders in the association, and he has enough skills to be effective in Dallas' motion offense. He can space the floor, keep the ball moving and drive a little bit.
Green lacks Ellis' ability to single-handedly break teams down in the pick-and-roll, but he is a significantly better defender and shooter.
Wesley Matthews
4 of 5
2014-15 Salary: $7.2 million
Wesley Matthews is one of the most intriguing free agents this summer. He was poised for a massive contract, but it all took a turn for the worse when he ruptured his Achilles tendon against Dallas in March.
Now, his free agency becomes more interesting. He almost certainly won't be ready to go for training camp, and it's hard to gauge his value after such a devastating injury.
The Portland Trail Blazers have LaMarcus Aldridge and Robin Lopez hitting free agency as well. Even though the team has had success with Matthews, it will be understandable if the organization doesn't feel giddy about offering him a huge deal. That is especially the case with Arron Afflalo around (although he is expected to opt out, per TNT's David Aldridge).
If Dallas steps in and throws something along the line of $15 million per year his way, the Trail Blazers would probably have to think long and hard about letting Matthews walk.
It would be a gamble, but a healthy Matthews was one of the best two-way shooting guards in the league last season. He has a silky-smooth jumper, which is something the Mavs would welcome on the wing. The injury will likely take away some of his athleticism, but Matthews has always relied more on crafty moves than explosiveness to get to the rim.
It's hard to figure out what Matthews' market value will be, but teams from the outside have a shot at landing his signature.
Cory Joseph
5 of 5
2014-15 Salary: $2.1 million
If Dallas manages to land quality free agents at other positions, Cory Joseph would be a great, cheaper option at the point.
He is a restricted free agent, but the Spurs have long-term salaries committed to both Tony Parker and Patrick Mills. It's not likely that San Antonio would match an offer in the $6 million range for a player who saw the court for only 18.3 minutes per game last year.
Joseph's raw statistics aren't particularly mind-blowing, but he has developed into a solid player. He is an extremely good pick-and-roll attacker and an expert finisher. He can single-handedly weave through waves of defenders and has a lot of nifty moves around the rim.
His jumper has looked solid, although he doesn't rely on it. If Ellis leaves, Joseph could fill some of his duties. He isn't as fast or explosive as Monta, but he can get to the rim almost at will.
Joseph is also a good defender and should have no trouble thriving among other great offensive players. He is worth consideration, as far as Dallas is concerned.
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