Few teams in the NBA have had as eventful a past six months as the Dallas Mavericks, trading Luka Dončić to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, seeing Davis go down with an injury shortly after the trade, missing the playoffs and then somehow winning the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes in the NBA Draft lottery.
Flagg coming on board as their new star wing fills one of the needs the Mavs had coming into this offseason, but with Kyrie Irving out indefinitely after tearing his ACL in early March, Dallas has a glaring need for point guard help. Complicating matters is the need to sign Irving to a new extension, which will limit their financial flexibility and could keep them out of the running for top guards on the market. That said, what they can’t offer in money they can make up for to a degree in opportunity, as any guard that signs a short-term deal in Dallas will get a chance to prove themselves in a starting role until Irving comes back at some point in 2026.
Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported Saturday that Dallas’ focus is on finding a starting caliber point guard who can slot into a secondary role once Irving is back healthy. Given Harrison’s assertion that defense wins championships, it’s fair to say they will look to bring in at least one guard with a strong defensive pedigree who can play alongside Irving.
Dallas could look to bring back Spencer Dinwiddie, although he had a middling campaign with the Mavs last year. But if they look for a fresh start in the backcourt, there are a number of options in this year’s free agent class that could fit the bill.
Potential free agent point guard targets
Dennis Schröder (Pistons)
Schröder got passed around by a few teams around the deadline last year, but landed in Detroit and gave them some much needed veteran stability behind Cade Cunningham. On the season he averaged 13.1 points and 5.4 assists per game in Brooklyn, Golden State and Detroit. The Pistons will likely look to keep him in Detroit, but Schröder could be enticed by the opportunity to get one more run to prove himself as a starting point guard in the NBA in Dallas.
Chris Paul (Spurs)
Paul is an unrestricted free agent after spending a season in San Antonio, averaging 8.8 points and 7.4 assists per game, and perhaps he’d be intrigued by the situation in Dallas. He could step in and run the show alongside Anthony Davis and Flagg until Irving comes back and take on a reserve role from there on a team that hopes to be in the mix in the West. Paul hasn’t shown a desire to go full-on ring chasing by being a deep bench guy, but Dallas could be a nice middle ground for him.
Malcolm Brogdon (Wizards)
Brogdon only played 24 games for the tanking Wizards a year ago, as his season ended with a sprained ankle in February. His checkered injury history might keep the Mavs away, but it also could keep his price down low enough for it to be worth it for the Mavs to bring him in. After spending the last two years in Portland and Washington, Brogdon is probably interested in showing his abilities on a playoff contender again.
Tyus Jones (Suns)
It wasn’t a great year for Jones in Phoenix, but that was also a situation I’m not sure anyone could truly thrive in. He averaged 10.2 points and 5.3 assists per game on a Suns team with horrific vibes and might be happy to take a change of scenery. Dallas would give him a chance to start again and perhaps prove himself in a position better suited to his success.
Cameron Payne (Knicks)
If I were the Mavs, I wouldn’t want Payne to be my lone signing, but if they can’t land one of the top names and have to start looking at adding more of a guard rotation by committee, they could certainly do worse than Payne. He’s mercurial but has proven to be a solid regular season backup. He’s not someone you want to have to rely on heavily in the playoffs (ask Knicks fans their thoughts on Payne right now), but the Mavs need to be more worried about getting to the postseason right now and Payne can help fill regular season minutes well.
Jevon Carter (Bulls)
Similar to Payne, Carter can’t be the only addition for the Mavs, but in terms of adding depth and their desire to build a strong defensive identity, Carter could help. He never really found a comfortable fit in Chicago, but he was excellent for the Bucks in 2022-23. He’d be more helpful once Irving is back as a change-of-pace, point-of-attack defender.
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