By DaVince “Dino” Wright
New Regime, New Faces, New Day
I can go back to last year’s record, team, coaches and organization… And right now, I’m focused on what will be the next phase of the Dallas Mavericks heading into the future. Just a few days ago, the Dallas Mavericks hired Dusty May from this year’s college national championship Michigan Wolverines team to lead the newly formed Dallas Mavericks organization into the future. This move reminded me of how the Dallas Cowboys hired national championship winning coach Jimmy Johnson from the University of Miami. You saw what happened to that organization. The Mavericks have moved forward with new hires and picks. Here’s what to watch for in Dallas for the next few months: trading away and for veterans and contract moves. Dallas has good young talent but need healthy veterans to lead this team.
Team Needs
Dallas had problems with rebounding and wing defense last season. They had players that just couldn’t stop anyone from getting into the paint. Defensive rotation cost Dallas in the latter parts of the 3rd and 4th quarters all season long. With starting point guard Kyrie Irving missing the season due to injury, Dallas didn’t have a clear-cut leader on the court to control the game from the floor. The flow of the game was given to a rookie that learned the pro game on a wing and a prayer last season. Dallas needs athletic wing defenders who can slow down opposing players that can rebound.
2026 NBA Draft
Dallas needs some young tough players who can contribute almost immediately to change the fortune for this team. The Mavericks will need to gut the roster and reassemble it position by position. They don’t need a young point guard. The Mavs need a veteran to back up Kyrie. The guards on this team will need to be cut. Dallas drafted three players that they think that could make a huge impact. In the first round, Dallas drafted at pick 9: Michigan forward Morez Johnson, Jr. who brings a big physical presence in the paint along with a nasty toughness that the Mavericks need. At pick 30: Koa Peat from Arizona that was traded to Phoenix via New York Knicks. Pick 48: Tobi Lawal, Virginia Tech forward that can be special in a couple of years. He can work his way into the rotation this season. The draft trade that made me shake my head though was when Dallas acquired Vsevolod Ishchenko from Chicago. I’m not sure of who he is but we shall see.
What’s Next?
The Mavericks have 10 players under contract and 5 free agents. Dallas will need to make some moves and decisions on some of these players. Here’s the list of players under contract right now: Guards: Max Christie, Kyrie Irving, AJ Johnson, Klay Thompson. Forwards: Cooper Flagg, Naji Marshall, Caleb Martin, PJ Washington and F/C: Daniel Gafford Center: Dereck Lively II. The free agents: Ryan Nembhard, Brandon Williams, Marvin Bagley III, Khris Middleton and Dwight Powell. With the signing of a new head coach, the Mavs will need to restructure everything!
Draft Grade: C
Here’s the thing with Dallas, the team is on the outside looking in. No one knows what going on with this team. I can see the Mavs ending up somewhere between 9th and 11th place in the West next season. They have the talent to be better but let’s see how well they perform in a new system. One thing I can say is the new arena and entertainment center will be one to watch for… but that’ll be an article for another day!
