Richard Jefferson Believes Mavericks Could Surprise In NBA Postseason Picture

People are conflicted about what the 2026-27 Dallas Mavericks could be. While they have clearly made improvements on the back end of the roster and will be getting Kyrie Irving back from injury, most sportsbooks have the Mavs winning between 32 and 35 games.

However, it's a weaker Western Conference compared to years past. Teams at the top, such as the OKC Thunder and Denver Nuggets, have lost significant depth due to tax constraints. While teams near the bottom, like the Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers, look better, there are still a few bottom feeders.

The middle of the West, with the Mavs, Jazz, Blazers, Clippers, Warriors, Suns, and maybe even the Lakers, is completely up in the air. Because of that, former Maverick turned ESPN analyst and commentator Richard Jefferson thinks the Mavs could "pop up" in the Western Conference postseason picture.

“Dallas, they could pop up," Jefferson said on a recent episode of the "Road Trippin'" podcast. “…That was the first team I said when it was like, who is a team that’s outside that you could look at, could actually shift some things up. And again, we’re not saying Dallas is gonna be top six. We’re saying if Dallas was [number] 8 in the play-in and won the first game and were the [number] 7 seed, you wouldn’t be like, ‘Where did this come from?'

“I think Dallas is the one team that has enough talent, high-level talent, that if they’re healthy, things are rolling, you could see them doing something."

As Jefferson said, it would be really surprising if the Mavericks got into the top six of the West and out of the Play-In picture, but they could absolutely be in the Play-In tournament.

Feb 27, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) controls the ball against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Do the Mavericks Have Enough to Make Playoffs?

We're still two months away from the season starting, and there is plenty that could change with the roster. It does seem like the 15 men they have will be the starting roster, though.

The Mavericks probably need one more ball-handler and a point-of-attack defender to be true playoff hunters. Marcus Sasser hasn't shown that he can consistently contribute, and first-round rookie Sergio De Larrea is facing a huge adjustment.

They have a lot of great players to defend wings, but they don't really have anyone outside of Caleb Martin who can defend guards at a high level. And the less we see of Martin, the better.

The Mavericks could get into the Play-In, and at that point, you just need to win one or two games to make the playoffs. It would be a lot to project for them to get into the top six, though.

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