Mavericks Expected To Make $12 Million Decision on PG As Free Agency Nears

NBA free agency officially begins at 6 p.m. ET on June 30. Many teams are getting a head start with their current roster this week by re-structuring contracts to assemble their funds for when Monday evening's doors open.

The Dallas Mavericks are one of those teams, and many expect them to be buyers within the first hour of free agency.

To prepare for this, Dallas has agreed to terms on new contracts for two integral pieces of their NBA Finals run from just over a year ago: center Daniel Gafford and point guard Kyrie Irving.

Gafford has reportedly agreed to sign a three-year, $54 million contract to stay with the Mavs. Irving, as he recovers from a devastating torn ACL suffered in March, has opted out of his player option and is expected to sign a three-year, $119 million extension.

The Irving moves unlock Dallas with the taxpayer midlevel exception, adding about $5 million to their cap for this offseason. Amid Irving's rehab, which isn't expected to put him back on the court until the turn of the calendar year, the Mavs are likely to pursue a replacement starting point guard with this money.

As it looks right now, that player is "widely expected" to be Brooklyn Nets veteran D'Angelo Russell. NBA insider Marc Stein believes Dallas is setting up a two-year, $12 million contract for the lefty Russell.

This move comes after trade rumors involved scrappy guard Collin Sexton and the ailing, but once-promising facilitator Lonzo Ball. Each of them was traded in the last week (Sexton to Charlotte and Ball to Cleveland).

Chris Paul was another name whispered to be a potential Mavericks target once free agency commences, but at 40 years old, the front office may feel more confident in a future with Russell.

The Ohio State product and former No. 2 overall pick in 2015 is entering Year 11 in the league after averaging 12.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game last season with the Nets. He saw about 25 minutes per game and shot 36.7 percent from the field, but a career-low 29.7 percent from three-point range.

His arrival is expected to become official the night of June 30, and may spell the end of fan-favorite Dante Exum's time in Dallas as the role-playing guard enters unrestricted free agency.

Stein adds that the Mavericks might be leaning towards the idea of trading 2023 first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper to free up cap space in order to keep Exum, but that situation continues to develop.

If Dallas stays ahead of the pack, Russell will become the Mavs' newest starting point guard for the first few months of the season until Irving returns to the lineup.