DALLAS, Texas — Rick Carlisle knew which approach he and his staff wanted to take going into the offseason which immediately began after the NBA 2020 Draft last week. The team had hopes of getting better on the defensive end and the offensive end.
In short, they accomplished most of the mission, but could add another player to help beef up their roster.
The Mavericks selected Josh Green with the 18th overall pick, acquired 2 way guard Josh Richardson and 36th overall draft pick Tyler Bey from the 76ers. Shortly after the draft the Mavericks received news that their starting shooting guard Tim Hardaway decided to opt in to his $19 million dollar player option, and Willie Cauley-Stein who initially declined his $2.28 million dollar player option, decided to resign with the Mavericks on a two year deal worth $8.2 million in the late part of last week.
Willie Cauley Stein is one player in particular I thought would fit the dog description, but the Mavericks brought in another defensive stud in James Johnson, who we will know as “Luka’s Bodyguard” when he dons the Maverick uniform this season.
Johnson has been in the NBA for a decade and has had stints with the Bulls, Raptors, Grizzlies, Heat, and most recently the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Johnson is more than a basketball player. Johnson is a black belt in karate and started an MMA career at the age 18 and never lost a match in the 7 times he fought. To say the least, the Mavericks should have no problems with opposing players attempting to cross the line with Johnson on the roster. He isn’t afraid to defend himself or his teammates.
While the Mavericks have made a few acquisitions, they still have plenty of time to make another move before the free agency period expires. The team itself didn’t give up many assets to acquire new players and were able to maintain their core group of players while adding youth and veteran leadership to their roster.
There are rumors that the Mavericks could target Zach Lavine in a three way trade with the Bulls, but no moves have been made as of now.
The season starts in less than a month and training camp will begin in less than two weeks. Chemistry and familiarity will be a major factor as the Mavericks begin to prepare for an NBA season like no other, but by the team keeping its group of core players together the adjustment period for the incoming players should not hinder the immediate success of this team.
