Whats Next for Luka Doni and the Mavericks?
Lets start with the good news following the Mavericks exit from the postseason on Sunday evening. Dallas is blessed with the leagues brightest young star, a generational talent who could very well challenge Dirk Nowitzki as the greatest player in franchise history. That isnt hyperbole. Luka Donis first three NBA seasons are rivaled by only LeBron James in this century, and Doni continues to exceed expectations stateside after becoming the most accomplished teenager in European basketball history. Keep Doni in tow, and the Mavericks should be a playoff stalwart for at least the next decade. Landing Doni in the first place required a combination of quality scouting and a shocking stroke of luck. The Suns opted for hometown center Deandre Ayton with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft. The Kings inexplicably passed on Doni to select Marvin Bagley (already a historic blunder in retrospect). The Hawks chose Trae Young and added draft capital instead of Doni, a move that looks relatively defensible as Young shines in the Eastern Conference playoffs. We can relitigate Donis draft class ad nauseum, but the Mavericks fortune in the matter is unquestioned. Now its up to them to capitalize on their historic acquisition. Building a champion around Doni isnt exactly an easy task despite his brilliance. The Cavaliers couldnt capitalize on Jamess brilliance in his first stint with Cleveland. The Bucks appear to be falling short once again with Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Celtics are now hitting an organizational reset as they build around Jayson Tatum. Consider the stacked Western Conference as currently constituted, and Dallass path to the Finals isnt exactly clear. There are few easy answers. It's worthwhile to step back and assess the roster around Doni as we approach the offseason. Tim Hardaway Jr. is entering free agency after being Dallass second-best player for much of the regular season. Josh Richardson could seek a new deal, though hes likely to opt-in to the final year of his deal at $11 million after a difficult 202021. Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Maxi Kleber are all under contract through next season, giving Doni at least a passable supporting cast. This isnt exactly akin to the crew surrounding Kevin Durant with the Nets or even Kawhi Leonard with the Clippers. But painting this as some kind of disastrous situation is unfair. Yet its still hard to be satisfied with a middling group around what could be the greatest player of the 2020s. The Mavericks arent ignorant to such a fact, and in 19, they made their move. Kristaps Porziis arrived in the Lone Star State after his relationship with the Knicks disintegrated, providing Dallas with what it thought was a perfect long-term running mate. The expectations havent been met thus far. Porziis missed the final three games of the Mavericks loss to the Clippers in the 20 playoffs due to injury, and he logged just 43 regular-season games this season. The usage of Porziis has been questioned time and again, with his status as a supersized spacer coming under increasing scrutiny. Porziis was once one of the most talented young stars in the game, and there was scant criticism of Dallas when he signed a five-year deal in July 19. Dont let any revisionist history fool you. Porziis arrived in Dallas as a blue-chip prospect and a potentially elite running mate. The Mavericks have received little more than a mixed bag thus far. Porziiss contract isnt exactly akin to the Russell Westbrook and John Wall albatrosses eating through cap sheets in Washington and Houston. There is some legitimate trade value here if Dallas opts for a makeover, though its hard to pin what exactly the other 29 teams would deal for Porziis. Doni is a Harden-level playmaker, whose gravity creates a flood of open looks for his teammates. Perhaps a dearth of touches has thrown him out of his rhythm. Maybe we can chalk up his Game 6 and Game 7 clunkers to a couple of bad nights. Use any excuse youd like, but the fact remains: Porziis isnt in the class of Nikola Joki, Joel Embiid or Karl-Anthony Towns. Even if the Mavericks wouldnt undo their deal with the Knicks if given the opportunity, its unlikely theyre satisfied with their investment thus far. Lets sift through some potential options. Dallas would be outbid in any Bradley Beal sweepstakes. A Ben Simmons swap doesnt make much sense for the 76ers. Jaylen Brown isnt leaving Boston anytime soon, and even the ugliest Clippers collapse wouldnt lead to some kind of Paul Georgefor-Porziis deal. Most of the potential trades involving Porziis require a bit of a gamble on Dallass part. There are some deals involving Porziis with legitimate appeal, especially if Dallas prefers a wing as Donis next partner in crime. Daryl Morey could trade Tobias Harris to create a new twin towers in Philadelphia. CJ McCollums time with the Trail Blazers could come to an end in exchange for Porziis, with Jusuf Nurki standing as a potential Porziis replacement if the Mavericks looked to expand the blockbuster. Perhaps a Myles Turner and T.J. Warren package makes some sense, and the Raptors have a war chest of assets that could be used to fill a glaring need at center. Though again, building these hypotheticals is difficult considering Porziiss inconsistency in recent seasons. The Mavericks may ultimately pull the trigger on a Porziis trade, ushering in a third version of the Doni era in the process. Such a move may ultimately prove prudent. Porziis is a special talent for a player of his size, though the caveat is at times more of a detriment than a benefit. Porziis can fairly be labeled as injury-prone. He can be beaten in space, and hes not exactly a Gobertesque rim protector. Porziis isnt a dominant post-up player  la Embiid, and even if he were, Rick Carlisle isnt giving him a steady diet of paint touches anytime soon. Its fair for Porziis to feel underutilized in Dallass attack. Though its hard to blame Carlisle for riding his superstar playmaker time and again. It may not take a herculean overhaul for the Mavericks to cash in on Donis prime. Historic talents like Doni smooth over even the most jagged of rosters, and the right piece could vault a middling team to the Finals with a sufficient leading man. Giving Porziis cursory touches when Doni sits could help his production and attitude, and Doni could stand to engage his big man in a dose of pick-and-roll rather than delve right into a stream of isolations. As for Dallass front office, there is some financial flexibility, and there could be quality additions made to the supporting cast. Norman Powell or Derrick Rose could add some scoring punch. Wayne Ellington and Nicolas Batum would serve as under-the-radar additions. Lonzo Ball and Dennis Schrder are likely too priceyespecially so if Hardaway resignsthough maybe some salary cap jiujitsu can free up the space. Dont expect the Mavericks roster to stay completely static ahead of next season. The stakes are too high considering Donis historic start to his career, and even if Porziis stays in the metroplex, moves on the margins could make a legitimate difference. The Finals are no guarantee for any team, especially considering the gauntlet that is the Western Conference. Dallass decision-making in the coming months could decide its superstars fate well into the 2020s.