Best Future Prospects: Do Mavs Need More Than What They've Got?
Whether your team is a championship contender, a bottom-dweller, or anything in between, it's always good to have some young, promising prospects on the roster.
The Dallas Mavericks are not a young team when compared to the rest of the NBA. Yes, their superstar, Luka Doncic, is young (23), and there are a few young pieces on the end of the bench, but overall, the Mavs are the fourth oldest team in the league with an average age of 28, behind only the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks.
This isn't necessarily an issue right now, because many of the Mavs' key players – Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, Reggie Bullock, Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber, Christian Wood – are still in their primes. However, with Doncic still multiple years away from reaching his own prime, one has to wonder how the Mavs will reshape the roster around him as his current supporting cast ages.
Bleacher Report recently ranked each NBA team's top-3 best future prospects, and the Mavs' part of their list was lacking. To meet the criteria for these rankings, the player had to be 23 years old or younger, in the NBA for three years or less, and on a standard, guaranteed contract for the 2022-23 season.
Dallas' top-3 future prospects were listed as follows:
- Jaden Hardy, SG, 20
- Josh Green, SG, 21
- N/A
"Dallas has only made one first-round pick since selecting Luka Doncic (well, technically Trae Young) in 2018 and won't have their 2023 selection either following the Kristaps Porzingis trade. This is one of the older teams in the NBA, and it desperately needs the little young talent that's on the roster to prosper," writes Greg Swartz.
"Hardy has the highest ceiling, although he's probably a few years away from even being a reliable part of the rotation. After struggling with his efficiency in the G League, Hardy shot just 34.7 percent overall and 26.9 percent from three during the Summer League while turning the ball over 5.0 times per game."
Although Hardy might have the most upside, Green is a player that could have more of an impact for the Mavs during the 2022-23 season. The 2020 No. 18 overall pick has been working hard this summer in hopes of having breakout year.
If both players end up becoming key roster pieces going forward, that would take a lot of pressure off the Mavs' front office. Until that happens, though, Dallas needs to find a way to add more young prospects. The more you have, the higher your chances are of discovering a hidden gem.
Perhaps next year, if Bleacher Report decides to do these rankings again, they'll actually be able to complete the Mavs' section of the piece.
You can follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter at @dalton_trigg
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