
The Dallas Mavericks didn't have the season they envisioned, going just 26-56 amid injuries and trading away Anthony Davis, which was a much-needed move. It reset their books financially, but they have a lot of work to do if they want to get back to the NBA Finals, like they were in just two years ago.
Dallas ranked near the bottom of the NBA in a lot of statistics. Most of those will need to be addressed, and some will be addressed by Kyrie Irving returning from injury. He missed the entire season recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered in March of 2025.
Even with Irving returning, there is one glaring hole that the Mavs need to fix.
The Dallas Mavericks ranked 26th in three-point percentage and 29th in three-pointers made. It's hard to succeed in today's NBA when you're shooting that poorly, which is proven by the Sacramento Kings being worse than them in both statistics.
They can become better shooters by getting better playmaking. Kyrie Irving, having the gravitational pull that he does, will generate better looks than they were able to get this year, but he's never been known as an elite passer.
Dallas still just needs to add better, more proven shooters. Max Christie shot 40.5% from three on nearly six attempts per game, but he cooled off as the season went along. Klay Thompson shot a career-worst 38.3% from deep on more than 7 attempts per game, but he's still serviceable.
However, Thompson is entering the last year of his contract, and he wants to win. He could be a possible buyout candidate this offseason, or may even be swung in a trade to bring in a larger and longer contract to get some extra draft capital.
There are a few options for the Mavs to explore. One of them is John Poulakidas, who they have on a two-way contract. He had some impressive performances down the stretch of the season, scoring 28 points against the Chicago Bulls in the season finale and 23 points against the Phoenix Suns.
Poulakidas shot 40.3% from three in the 13 games he played this year, and he has a quick trigger as a lefty, but it was a small sample size. That's likely not a reliable option.
The Mavericks could always bring back Khris Middleton, who shot 39.1% from deep in his 29 games after the Anthony Davis trade. He's always been an above-average shooter, but the Mavs may not have much interest in bringing him back unless it's on a near-minimum contract.
Ideally, the Mavs could move off a player like Caleb Martin, who can't do anything at a high level anymore. That seems unlikely. Brandon Williams, another poor three-point shooter, is likely to walk in free agency, which will help with some of the spacing. They could always look to trade Naji Marshall, who will have some value, to make space for another shooter.
Some pending free agents who are high-level shooters include Luke Kennard, Dean Wade, and Landry Shamet.
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