Goran Dragic Signs With Coach Steve Nash's Nets; Should Mavs Add Center?
The Dallas Mavericks were long expected to be the landing spot for Goran Dragic after his eventual buyout, but landing Spencer Dinwiddie as a backup point guard seemingly has changed the outlook for that situation.
Meanwhile, Dragic, 35 - a countryman and friend of Luka Doncic's - is joining the Brooklyn Nets, as reported by The Athletic on Monday.
Signing with the Nets reunites the veteran with Steve Nash, named Brooklyn's head coach ahead of the 2020-21 season. They played together on the Phoenix Suns from the 2008-09 season to mid-2011.
The consistent message from Mavericks president of basketball operations and general manager Nico Harrison has been the team already has a 'full' roster — making it unlikely for Dallas to be a player in the buyout market. He discussed this in more detail on the latest episode of the Mavs Step Back Podcast with our own Dalton Trigg.
After the Kristaps Porzingis trade, the Mavericks have a lack of size at the center position between Dwight Powell, Maxi Kleber, and Marquese Chriss being among the regular options that Kidd has deployed at times. Could Dallas pursue a big man in the buyout market as a result?
Among the main bigs that teams around the league are monitoring as potential buyout candidates include Tristan Thompson (Pacers), Robin Lopez (Magic), DeAndre Jordan (Lakers), Paul Millsap (Sixers), and Derrick Favors (Thunder).
The Pacers have a center logjam between Myles Turner who will be back in the lineup shortly after the NBA All-Star Break, along with younger options including Isaiah Jackson, Jalen Smith, and Goga Bitadze. A buyout with Thompson is a logical option, but there seems to be a real chance he ends up with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jordan has already been a member of the Mavericks before, and his stint was an unsuccessful one. Being as though he is even further removed from the days when he anchored the LA Clippers' defense alongside Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, there's little reason to give consideration to bringing him back.
Millsap has been labeled a potential buyout candidate after he was moved to the Philadelphia 76ers. However, he is likely to fill a small-ball center role alongside Georges Niang in the bench frontcourt. If Philadelphia were to move on, it'd be due to a lack of effectiveness—making him an unappealing option.
It could be an intriguing option to bring in Robin Lopez, but the Orlando Magic do have a track record of not engaging in a buyout agreement with players many have identified as being prime candidates. Otto Porter Jr. is a recent example and that pattern could continue with Gary Harris.
There will be a competitive market for any of the big men that do end up being made available after a buyout. Favors, who has been a helpful player in his career with the Utah Jazz, would be sought after by teams with more rotation opportunity to offer.
The Mavericks do have the option of deploying Boban Marjanovic when there is a need to have a big man with more size on the floor. He is earning $3.5 million this season—making it challenging to justify not utilizing him in those situations.
