Mavericks Offseason Primer: Free Agents, Draft Capital, Salary Cap Space, Trades

The offseason is here for the Dallas Mavericks, which is a lot earlier than they would've preferred. They entered the season with championship aspirations and instead lost 30 more games than they won, finishing with a 26-56 record, their second-worst record since 2000. The only season they had a worse record, they ended up with Luka Doncic in the next draft.

It's an important offseason for the Mavs. They need to hire a new President of Basketball Operations/General Manager, and they've already made a major change in their medical staff, firing Johann Bilsborough. Jason Kidd looks like he'll continue to be the head coach despite missing the playoffs two years in a row after making the NBA Finals.

With all of that being said, the Mavericks do have some flexibility this offseason. Here is a look at the draft picks they hold, lottery odds for their first pick, pending free agents, and the flexibility they'll have to use.

2026 Draft Capital

The Dallas Mavericks finished tied with the New Orleans Pelicans for the 7th-worst record in the NBA, thanks to the Mavs needlessly beating the Chicago Bulls in the last game of the season. Because of that, a coin flip in late April will be held to establish who gets the better odds. As of now, the Mavs have about a 6.8% chance of winning the first pick, and a 29% chance of jumping into the top 4.

Dallas also holds the 30th overall pick, via the OKC Thunder, which they received from the Washington Wizards in the Anthony Davis trade. If there were any draft to have any extra picks, this is the one to do it.

The last pick that the Mavs own is a second-round pick via the Phoenix Suns, which also came over in the Anthony Davis trade. As of now, that is slated to be the 47th overall pick, but that could change depending on how the Suns do in the postseason.

Pending Free Agents

Including players on two-way contracts, the Mavericks have 5 players set to be free agents: Khris Middleton, Marvin Bagley III, Dwight Powell, Brandon Williams, and Moussa Cisse (two-way, restricted free agent). Ryan Nembhard has a team option for next season that they could decline, but given that he had 23 assists in his final game, that seems unlikely.

John Poulakidas and Tyler Smith are also on two-way contracts, but their deals run through next season.

Of those pending free agents, Moussa Cisse seems to be the likeliest to return. He made a big impression with his rim protection and athleticism, and he could return for a cheaper price. Khris Middleton is another candidate, but he could also be sent off in a sign-and-trade.

Possible Trade Candidates

The Dallas Mavericks need to prioritize building the team around Cooper Flagg at all costs. If anyone isn't a fit with him, they need to be trade candidates. Expensive veterans also need to be considered for trade. Here are three veterans the Mavs may move on from this offseason.

Klay Thompson: One year, $17,460317 Remaining

Thompson was candid after Sunday's final game against the Bulls, where even though he knows he's under contract, anything can happen in the NBA. He likely doesn't have much value as a player to a team, but his expiring contract could be used for the Mavs to take on a larger, longer contract with some draft capital attached to it.

Daniel Gafford: Three Years, $54,380,290 Remaining

Gafford has been a trade candidate for nearly a year now. The contract extension he signed last offseason was the most he could sign for while still being trade-eligible, but he ended up sticking with the team. There were some offers for him at the trade deadline, but once the Mavs were somehow able to trade away Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell, and Jaden Hardy in the same deal, they didn't have as much need to deal a long-term salary.

Dallas will seek a first-round pick in return for Gafford.

P.J. Washington: Four Years, $88,762,439 Remaining

P.J. Washington signed a contract with the Mavs just before the season started, which made him ineligible to be traded all season. A fair argument could be made that Washington and Flagg just do not fit together, but Washington is a valuable player who could fetch a first-round pick in return. NBA teams are always looking for wings who can defend multiple positions, and if he has the right playmakers, he can be a good three-point shooter.

Naji Marshall: One Year, $9,428,571 Remaining

Naji Marshall is entering the last year of his deal, so the Mavericks need to decide now if he can coexist alongside Cooper Flagg in the future. He's not a great shooter, and he's been best with the ball in his hands. He averaged a career-high in points and assists, but hasn't shot above 30% from three in either of his two seasons in Dallas. He's tough-nosed, and you want that kind of toughness on a team, and his ability to score off the dribble is something other teams would love to have.

The Mavs will have a high asking price for him, but if he's not in their long-term plans, they may as well get something for him now.

AJ Johnson: One Year, $3,237,120 Remaining (team option for 2027-28 season)

AJ Johnson is just a bad player. He was a late first-round pick from the 2024 NBA Draft and just does not look like an NBA player. If the Mavs wanted to tank the end of a game, they'd throw him in and usually perform poorly. Maybe they could convince a team to take him on for a second-round pick swap.

Caleb Martin: Two Years, $19,372,945 Remaining

It's hard to see anyone being interested in Caleb Martin at his salary, but it doesn't hurt to try.

Salary Cap Space

As of now, the Mavericks are projected to have a little more than $152 million in committed salary and dead cap for next season, plus between $10 and $11 million they'll have to use on their first-round picks. They are plenty below the first tax apron, which is likely to be around $209 million, and they'll have the non-taxpayer midlevel exception, as well as the bi-annual exception to add to the roster.

They could also use that space to add bad salaries with some draft capital attached to them. They need to restock the cupboard, as they don't own any of their first-round picks until 2031 after this upcoming draft.

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