Mavericks named NBA free agency loser after D'Angelo Russell addition

The Mavericks had an eventful offseason by adding the top overall player in the 2025 NBA Draft in Cooper Flagg (forward, Duke), as well as adding a couple of undrafted free agents in Ryan Nembhard (guard, Gonzaga) and Miles Kelly (guard, Auburn). Still, there was work to be done in fortifying the guard unit due to Kyrie Irving's ACL injury, which will keep him out through the majority of the 2025-26 season (projected back sometime in late January-early February).

Dallas shocked nobody when they signed free agent guard D'Angelo Russell to a two-year contract worth $13 million, a move that many had projected since the start of the signing period. Russell, who played for both the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets last season, averaged 12.6 points, 5.1 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game. Though the numbers do look decent, last season was a low point for Russell as far as efficiency went – he shot just 39% from the field and 31% from three.

Mar 31, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell (1) in action during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Brooklyn Nets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Yahoo! Sports writer Ben Rohrbach took this into account when saying the Mavericks were one of the "losers" of the 2025 free agency period in the NBA. Rohrbach didn't have much positive to say about the move by Dallas to kick off the offseason.

"It cannot give Mavericks fans great confidence that [Nico] Harrison has turned over a new leaf when his first order of business was to sign D'Angelo Russell for two years," he said of the Mavericks GM's move. "Sure, the Mavericks needed a point guard in the absence of an injured Kyrie Irving, and sure, that is a fine price for Russell, but they just drafted Flagg, who plays the right way, and I wouldn't want to pair him with anybody who doesn't."

He criticized Harrison at another point as well, saying, "Harrison sure took a lot of credit for what seemed like luck [in landing the top overall pick], acting as if this was his vision," an opinion reflected by much of sports media and the Dallas fanbase.

While the Mavericks may have gotten extremely lucky by winning the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes, the rest of Harrison's moves seem to be indicate that things may continue to go South as long as he is in charge.

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