The Dallas Mavericks have positioned themselves nicely to make a big splash in the upcoming NBA offseason. While many were hoping that they could get either Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kawhi Leonard, that seems impossible at this point in time. However, there is another intriguing target that the Mavericks could target, which is San Antonio Spurs impending free agent DeMar DeRozan.
DeRozan would fill the exact need that the Mavericks currently have. They need another perimeter player who can create their own shot and create for others. Luka Doncic is one of the top superstars in the game, but the Mavericks have to find a way to take some pressure off of him.
Bleacher Report has projected that the Mavericks will end up landing DeRozan this offseason, which is an extremely intriguing fit.
DeRozan has largely fallen out of the national conversation since being on the wrong end of Toronto’s celebrated Kawhi Leonard trade, but moving to a team like the Mavericks with a player as transcendent as Luka would be a nice opportunity to reinvent himself once more and hopefully contribute to a deep playoff contender in the process.
During the 2020-21 season with the Spurs, DeRozan was considered an All-Star caliber player. He ended up averaging 21.6 points per game to go along with 6.9 assists and 4.2 rebounds. DeRozan shot 49.5 percent from the floor overall and knocked down 25.7 percent of his three-point attempts.
Granted, the Mavericks would not be adding any kind of perimeter shooting with this move. But, Doncic is already a better three-point threat and Dallas could use another slasher. DeRozan would bring a different skill-set to the table, which is always valuable.
At 31 years of age, DeMar DeRozan has been one of the league’s most underrated stars in recent years. Joining a team that could help him compete for a championship would have to be of interest to him. He could also consider taking a look at returning to the Toronto Raptors, although that may not be a legitimate scenario.
If DeRozan is interested and the Mavericks are interested, a deal should not be hard to strike. Both parties would fit well with each other.
Expect to see a long list of teams line up with interest in signing DeRozan when free agency begins. The Mavericks may not end up being one of them, but the move would make a ton of sense.
