After missing the playoffs, you would have thought that the Dallas Mavericks would be extremely active during the offseason to improve, but it looks like they are forfeiting to a complete rebuilding process. They were one of the quietest teams during the offseason, re-signing their key veteran and making a couple of trades.

Dirk Nowitzki’s incredible pay cut

Coming into the offseason, Dirk Nowitzki had a $25 million team option on his contract. After discussing it with their loyal star, the Mavericks and Nowitzki mutually agreed to have Nowitzki’s $25 million contract terminated, making him an unrestricted free agent.

As a free agent, Nowitzki chose to re-sign with Dallas, agreeing to a two-year, $10 million deal. Therefore, Nowitzki took a whopping $20 million discount for the 2017-2018 season, showing his true loyalty to Mark Cuban and the Mavs.

Minor trades

Aside from Nowitzki re-signing a new deal, the Mavericks made a couple of minor trades. One of those trades was to help the Miami Heat clear cap space. The Mavericks took on the contract of Josh McRoberts along with a second-round pick and cash for A.J. Hammons.

The next trade was essentially to help the Houston Rockets complete a trade for Chris Paul. The Mavericks handed DeAndre Liggins’ contract to the Rockets for cash, in which Houston later dumped Liggins in the Paul trade.

Signing minor players to two-way and training camp deals

The Mavericks most recently signed a handful of players to two-way and training camp deals, including P.J. Dozier, Gian Clavell, Maxi Kleber, Jonathan Motley, Brandon Ashley, and Maalik Wayns. It’s uncertain which one of those players will stick on the roster, but the Mavericks may end up keeping a couple of them.

The 2017 NBA draft

The NBA draft is really where the Mavericks did most of their damage. They only had one draft pick, which was the ninth overall selection, and they chose NC State’s point guard Dennis Smith Jr. Surprisingly, Smith Jr. fell in the draft, and the Mavericks didn’t hesitate to take him. The 19-year-old standout should instantly become the starting point guard for Dallas and will be a top Rookie of the Year candidate.

Although the Mavericks didn’t make many moves during free agency, their draft selection of Smith Jr. made their offseason look solid. However, there is one more hole for the Mavericks to fill before the season starts, which is re-signing restricted free agent big man Nerlens Noel.

Roster Outlook

PG: Dennis Smith Jr./Yogi Ferrell/Devin Harris/J.J. Barea/Maalik Wayns SG: Wesley Matthews/Seth Curry/P.J. Dozier/Gian Clavell SF: Harrison Barnes/Dorian Finney-Smith PF: Dirk Nowitzki/Josh McRoberts/Maxi Kleber/Johnathan Motley/Brandon Ashley C: Salah Mejri/ Dwight Powell Coach: Rick Carlisle

Offseason Grade: B
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