Ever since the evening of February 1, 2025, the Dallas Mavericks have not been the same.
That was the day that Dallas traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, and the fallout of the trade was much worse than Nico Harrison and Patrick Dumont could have ever expected. Dallas crashed and burned after the Doncic trade, and everything got worse after Kyrie Irving tore his ACL in March.
The Mavericks weren't able to stay above water without Irving, as they ultimately missed the playoffs, and they must make some significant moves this summer to return to being contenders once again. Having Irving and Davis healthy, along with the addition of Cooper Flagg, will naturally give the Mavs a much better shot at contending, and according to a recent rumor, they are looking to address a major hole left on their roster that was created by trading Doncic to the Lakers for Davis.
Dallas is desperately targeting a true playmaker to stabilize the offense
From the moment Dallas traded Doncic to Los Angeles, their backcourt depth has been a major issue. It's known that the Mavs are looking to sign or trade for a guard this summer, and NBA insider Jake Fischer just gave everyone a better look into the type of guard they are looking to sign.
According to Fischer, the Mavericks are looking to add (subscription required) "playmaking and ball handling," making it clear that they are looking for more of a true point guard rather than a scorer. Fischer noted that the entire league knows the Mavericks want to do this, and this seems like it will be their main focus this summer.
Dallas's shot creation took a major step back after the Doncic trade, especially after Irving went down, and the Mavs signing a good ball handler or passer would help get them back on track.
Some fan-favorite free agency targets for the Mavericks to sign this summer include Dennis Schroder, Tyus Jones, and Chris Paul, and any of these options would help the Mavericks begin to address the devastating loss of Doncic not being on the team anymore. Each of them are gifted passers and ball handlers, and they would be able to run the offense while Irving is out and then transition to a complementary role once he returns.
This is the exact archetype that Mavericks fans were hoping for, as it was clear they weren't going to be able to heavily rely upon Brandon Williams and Jaden Hardy to fill this role, and finding a player who is fine with signing for a veteran minimum contract to become the starting point guard is key.
Dallas won't have the finances to make any jaw-dropping signings, but landing someone like Paul or Schroder would be a perfect move. Schroder would give the Mavs outstanding on-ball defense and the ability to run the offense, and Paul would become a steady hand that the Mavericks desperately need.
Finding an ideal Irving replacement until he returns will end up being one of the Mavs' main priorities this summer, and they could address this need through free agency, the trade market, or the draft. Harrison has been spotted at multiple pro days ahead of the draft, and Dallas could end up looking to address their hole at guard by trading for an extra pick in the draft.
