Previous team recaps: DET, WAS, POR, CHA, SAS, TOR, MEM, UTA, BKN, ATL, CHI, HOU, SAC, GSW, MIA, PHI, ORL, LAL, IND, CLE, PHX, NOR, MIL, NYK, LAC, MIN, DEN, OKC
At a glance:
Record: 50-32 (5th, West)
Offensive Rating: 117.0 (8th)
Defensive Rating: 114.9 (18th)
Net Rating: 2.1 (15th)
Pace: 100.60 (7th)
2024 Draft Picks: 58
Considering that they weren’t even in the Play-In Tournament last season, this was a successful year for the Mavs. They were able to keep their pick in last year’s draft, which turned into Dereck Lively II. They made moves at the trade deadline to bring in PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford. Plus, a full year of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving playing together doesn’t hurt. All of those moves helped them become a contending team, and after finishing with the fifth best record in the West, they made an impressive run to the NBA Finals before losing to Boston in five games. The end result will sting, and there is no guarantee that teams make it back to the Finals just because they made it before. However, after multiple years of elite performances from Luka in the postseason, they were able to make the Finals for the first time since 2011.
They won’t be able to add much in the draft this summer, but the only player that was part of their rotation this season that they could lose in free agency is Derrick Jones Jr. Barring any major trades, they should be running things back next year with the same squad. While that may be fine for the team, it isn’t great for fantasy. Outside of their two stars, there wasn’t much consistent fantasy production. There were players that had solid stretches (Dante Exum, Tim Hardaway Jr.). There were players that have upside but are stuck in a minutes split (Gafford, Lively). Washington is the only other fantasy relevant player, but he was just outside the top-125 after joining the Mavs. This is a really good team, but if you’re looking for fantasy depth, it may be best to look elsewhere.
Fantasy Standout: Luka Doncic
Doncic has been a superstar since he stepped foot in the league, and that continued this season. However, even though he has been one of the most productive players in the league, he took another leap this season. He averaged career-highs of 33.9 points, 9.8 assists and 4.1 triples while also improving on his free throw percentage (78.6%). That allowed him to finish in the top five in 9-cat scoring for the first time in his career. The free throw and turnovers issues have limited his value in category formats, but when it comes to points, rebounds, assists, steals and 3-pointers, there aren’t many players in the league that compare.
If we're going to tear Luka down for his defense, then we better also highlight what he did in Game 4.
— Steph Noh (@StephNoh) June 15, 2024
1:33 of him stopping the Celtics. pic.twitter.com/dDRKdeTRu2
Luka is still only 25 years old, and it’s scary to think that he could get better than he has been. He should be widely considered one of the top few players in fantasy basketball in both redraft and dynasty leagues. He already has a decorated resume, but he is still looking to add an MVP award and championship trophy to his shelf. Dallas will continue to prioritize keeping him happy and building around him, but managers shouldn’t expect that to impact his production.
Fantasy Revelation: Dereck Lively II
When the Mavs made Lively the 12th pick in the draft last summer, he was widely considered a raw prospect that could make an impact one day, but he wasn’t expected to do much in year one. However, he proved that narrative wrong by recording a double-double in his first game, and he quickly made the move into the starting unit. He eventually lost the starting center job to Gafford, but Lively was still an important piece throughout their postseason run. He’s a sneaky good passer for a center, and he is an effective lob threat in pick and rolls, which makes him a perfect running mate for Luka.
Dereck Lively II just put Chet on a poster pic.twitter.com/Ovl8bbgvlW
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) December 3, 2023
In his first season, Lively averaged 8.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 1.1 blocks while shooting 74.7% from the floor in 23.5 minutes per game. Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but he was tied for fourth among rookies in double-doubles with eight and was third in both rebounds and blocks per game while maintaining the best field goal percentage. This 7’1” 20-year-old is going to be getting easy buckets for years with Doncic feeding him the ball, and if he continues to grow, he’ll turn into a fantasy star at center.
Fantasy Disappointment: Tim Hardaway Jr.
If you think back hard, there was a point last season where THJ was arguably the leader in the Sixth Man of the Year race. He started off the season hot from deep, and it appeared that he was going to once again hover around top-150 value in 9-cat leagues. However, he barely finished inside the top-200 and ranked outside the top-300 over the final two months of the season.
THJ was only a late-round flier, but he was heavily-rostered for most of the season. His performance in the playoffs (outside of the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the Finals) isn’t going to encourage many managers to draft him next season. He’ll continue to be a solid shooting reserve for Dallas, and he will likely be more effective in the regular season than he was in the postseason. However, don’t expect that to turn into fantasy relevance, unless you’re desperate for 3-pointers on a Sunday.
Fantasy Recaps/Look-Aheads
Kyrie Irving:
Per usual, Irving was a top ten player in 9-cat leagues when it came to per-game value. Also per usual, games played were a slight issue for him. He played in 58 games, which isn’t terrible, but it isn’t great. He hasn’t played 70 games in a season since he left Cleveland, and he hasn’t suited up 65 times since he left Boston. However, there aren’t many players that are as impactful as Kyrie when he’s on the floor. He averaged 25.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.0 triples on solid shooting splits. His postseason performance had its highs and lows, but managers shouldn’t expect him to be suiting up for another team next season. They’ll run things back, and Irving should once again provide elite numbers. The only question mark will continue to be his availability
MAVS TAKE 2-1 SERIES LEAD AFTER CLUTCH KYRIE BUCKET 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Ff42E15qyy
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 11, 2024
Daniel Gafford:
If you just look at Gafford’s 9-cat value, you would consider him one of the elite players in fantasy hoops. While his blocks (2.5) and field goal percentage (72.5%) are elite, the rest of his game is rather modest. He only played 24.5 minutes per game last season (21.5 after being traded to Dallas). He’s a decent rebounder (7.6), and he doesn’t have the ball in his hands enough to turn it over. He’s a poor free throw shooter, but he doesn’t take many. If you’re looking for a boost in blocks and field goal percentage, and you can deal with a player that isn’t really contributing in the other categories, Gafford will continue to be the guy for you. He’ll continue to swat shots and throw down lobs from Luka and Kyrie while sprinkling in rebounds. However, if you’re expecting any sort of leap, you’re looking in the wrong place.
What a sequence for Daniel Gafford. pic.twitter.com/wLUghJW5Jz
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) June 15, 2024
PJ Washington:
After playing the first 4.5 years of his career in Charlotte, Washington was sent to the Mavs at the deadline. It was quite the change to go from a lottery team to a contender, but PJW was able to make the adjustment and make a huge impact throughout the postseason. In his 29 games as a Maverick, Washington averaged 11.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.9 blocks and 1.8 triples per game. His box score numbers weren’t great, but his defensive impact was crucial to their Finals run. He’s still worth drafting, but his chances of popping as a Hornet were much higher than they are as a Mav.
DAL is 33-14 since acquiring PJ Washington…
— NBA University (@NBA_University) June 5, 2024
6’8, athletic, do-it-all wing. Hitting spot-up 3s. Decisively killing closeouts with floaters/lays. Holds his own against bigs, wings, & some guards. Weakside rim protection. Lobs. Solid on both ends of the glass. Elite role player! pic.twitter.com/Jjm6gJC27h
Derrick Jones Jr.:
DJJ has never been very relevant in the fantasy basketball space, but he did have some solid stretches as a streaming option this season. However, he was able to make a huge impact in other ways for Dallas this year, specifically on the defensive end. His 8.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.1 triples aren’t going to help many fantasy managers, but there’s a good chance that he continues to start for the Mavs next season (as long as he re-signs), which means someone with more fantasy upside won’t get the minutes they need. It may be inconvenient in fantasy hoops, but it makes sense for their squad.
Derrick Jones Jr with the crazy lay over Tatum
— Digits Sports App (@Digits3App) June 15, 2024
pic.twitter.com/LwJc0a1pPW
Josh Green:
Green’s fantasy impact through his first four years in the league has been minimal, but he has turned into a feisty rotation player that was important to the Mavs’ success. He averaged 8.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 triples in 26.4 minutes per game. There was once hope that Green would turn into a standard league player, but after four seasons ranked outside the top-200, the odds seem low. He’s only 23, so there is still time, but he shouldn’t be considered an enticing late-round pick next season.
Maxi Kleber:
After opening the year in the starting unit, things quickly went sour for Kleber, and he ended up missing about two months due to a right toe injury. In his 43 games, he played 20.3 minutes and averaged 4.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He has only played 80 regular season games over the last two seasons and hasn’t produced well during his time on the floor, but before that, he was inside the top-200 for four straight seasons and even had a top-150 season. When the rotation is fully healthy, Kleber ends up soaking up a ton of minutes at center due to his ability to space the floor and switch on defense more effectively than their 7-footers. That messes with the fantasy upside of Lively and Gafford, which is frustrating, but it’s the reality that fantasy managers have to prepare for.
Jaden Hardy:
The 22-year-old only saw a handful of starts in his second season, but he still has a ton of upside as a scorer. He averaged 7.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.1 triples in 13.5 minutes per game this year, which left him irrelevant in fantasy for most of the year. He had a few solid starts, but as long as Luka and Kyrie are healthy, Hardy won’t play enough to be worth rostering. However, in dynasty formats, he’s still worth stashing.
Restricted Free Agents: Greg Brown III, Brandon Williams
Unrestricted Free Agents: Derrick Jones Jr., Markieff Morris