Denver Nuggets: 5 teams that could make a play for Will Barton
By Alex Murray
Will Barton destinations: 4. Dallas Mavericks – Link up with Luka
The team with the fourth-most highest amount of projected cap space this offseason is the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs are going into this offseason with a decent chunk of change, coming to the table with over $34 million, and could be an attractive option for Will Barton.
The Mavericks are in the middle of a major overhaul, having recently replaced their head coach and president of basketball operations, both of whom had been at their respective posts for over a decade. Now, they’ve got Jason Kidd in as the new head coach and former Nike executive Nico Harrison slotted in as the new president and general manager.
Make no mistake, there is no rebuild going on here: the Mavs have Luka Doncic, and that has proven to be more than enough to reach the postseason. After two straight first-round exits at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers, however, now it’s about surrounding the Slovenian Supernova with the pieces he needs to get over the hump.
Among the other perimeter players set to hit free agency are Kawhi Leonard and DeMar DeRozan, who would be in the upper echelon, followed by guys like Barton, Norm Powell, Evan Fournier, and Dallas’ own Tim Hardaway Jr. While THJ had some big moments in the seven-game series with the Clippers, he was not nearly consistent enough on offense and continued to be a liability on defense.
While the younger THJ is the more talented guy on the offensive end, Barton’s offensive package is much more varied, and he’s much closer to an even guy on defense instead of the negative that Hardaway has been.
The Mavericks need a bit more grit on that end of the floor as well as some veteran presence to help them avoid the collapses that felled them against L.A. the last two years, the Thrill can bring that.
