The Dallas Mavericks could've been preparing for a second-round matchup in this year's NBA Playoffs, but because of Nico Harrison deciding to make a franchise-altering move on February 1 by trading Luka Doncic, Dallas' season spiraled out of control with injuries and they subsequently missed the playoffs after losing the second of two play-in games a little over two weeks ago.
The Mavericks are entering an offseason with far more questions than answers, as Harrison put all his stock into a plan that has to work somewhat imminently based on the age of his roster, as his arguably top-three players are all 32 years old or older. One of those players in Kyrie Irving is coming off a torn ACL, and while Irving left behind an obvious void of shot creation and playmaking, the Mavericks must be meticulous in regard to how they try and fill this void.
This wound was entirely self-created by Harrison though, as he's traded away or let go of every elite Mavericks guard that he's gotten his hands on throughout the past few seasons besides Irving. Harrison traded away a potential ascending star in Quentin Grimes right after Doncic, not to mention him and Mark Cuban were reluctant to pay Jalen Brunson what he deserved in 2022.
Spencer Dinwiddie probably won't be back in Dallas next season
Dallas doesn't have anyone on their roster that could match or come close to the offensive production from a guard standpoint of any of those aforementioned names besides Irving, and Irving will miss a decent chunk of next season. Brandon Williams proved to be a reliable backup point guard for Dallas toward the end of last season, but whether he could be a consistent starter is still up in the air, and Dallas needs to secure more depth at this position with both Dante Exum and Spencer Dinwiddie being poised to enter free agency.
Bringing back Exum as a point-of-attack defender and tertiary creator would be a great buy-low for the Mavericks and would give them some continuity, but it's likely they steer clear of Dinwiddie ahead of this free agency. This past season was Dinwiddie's second stint with the Mavericks, and while he dialed back the clock for a few uber-efficient performances this season, this season paled in comparison to his first go-around in Dallas.
In 79 games played this season, Dinwiddie averaged 11.0 points, 4.4 assists, and 0.9 steals per game with shooting splits of 41.6/33.4/80.2. Dinwiddie shot far more efficiently throughout his first stint in Dallas, particularly from 3-point range, as his first tenure with the Mavericks is the only time he's shot above 40 percent from downtown for a significant stretch in his career.
This can partially be attributed to a change in role, as Dinwiddie was the third creator in Dallas's ascension to the 2022 NBA Playoffs, and Jason Kidd played him alongside Brunson and Doncic in many three-guard lineups that optimized spacing offensively. Dinwiddie had much more space to work with back then, but he still was playing some of the best basketball of his career alongside Doncic in the following season until he was shipped back to the Brooklyn Nets as part of the Irving trade.
Since then, Dinwiddie seems like he's lost a bit of a step offensively and settles for questionable 3-pointers instead of letting his dribble-drive game open up his scoring from inside-out. He admittedly has become a more reliable playmaker compared to his first go-around in Dallas and displayed that this season, but his efficiency woes as well as the fact that he isn't a defensive menace at the point of attack leave questions about his future in Dallas.
Dinwiddie initially seemed like a great emergency ball handler option for the Mavericks when they signed him to a minimum deal last summer, but his role quickly graduated into a more pressing one after the trade deadline. He's still a capable NBA player in the right role, but he's not as good as Williams, and Dallas would be smart to find a ball handler via the draft or through trade that could bridge the efficiency gap more so than Dinwiddie.
If Dallas is able to get Dinwiddie back on a minimum deal and in the same role he was playing pre-Doncic trade then that wouldn't be a bad proposition for next season, but Dinwiddie may have played his last game in a Mavericks uniform given the variables at play here, as it'll be interesting to see where his personal goals and expectations align with what teams will be offering on the open market.
