Dallas Mavericks in for a rude awakening next summer – NBA Feature
Bad news just keeps pouring in for the Dallas Mavericks, and Mark Cuban will not be a happy man at all.
The Mavericks received another blow in their attempt to re-assemble a championship calibre roster when Dwight Howard decided to join the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster four team trade hours ago.
The Mavericks opened free agency this season as the front runner to sign unrestricted free agent Deron Williams, and had made all the preparations to welcome the point guard back to his home town. But after a meeting with the emerging
Brooklyn Nets and a five year max offer, Williams decided to stay with his team and sign a five year extension.
Dallas then went about a tough offseason where they signed players to minimum contracts, to ensure competitiveness for next season while at the same time ensuring that they have plenty of cap space for next summer, where they have
a chance to once again land a big fish. The players on the market for next summer were Chris Paul and Dwight Howard.
But now that Howard is with the Lakers, many are expecting him to sign re-sign with them next year, if he does not sign a contract extension with them till then. The reason being that the Lakers are now a championship calibre team,
and Howard wants championship rings the most. Also, the new CBA allows a player to sign a contract with his previous team for more money and a longer duration, as opposed to any other team.
Hence, Howard will likely take the five year max deal offered to him next year. His trade also puts another player off the market for next season. Andrew Bynum was sent to the Philadelphia 76ers as part of the four team trade that
helped the Lakers acquire Howard. Bynum will also be facing the same decision next summer, re-signing with the Sixers for a max deal or moving to another team for less money. At 24, money is going to be a big factor for Bynum.
And just like that, a carefully prepared plan by the Mavericks has gone awfully wrong. Come next season, they will have to make a decision of either waiting one more season for a quality player who can change the future of the
franchise, or choosing from what’s available as they embark on a restructuring campaign.
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