“Learn from the past, prepare for the future, and live in the present.” When Mark Cuban decided to pair Kyrie Irving with his rising superstar Luka Dončić, reaching the NBA Finals just 16 months later would have been the dream scenario. If you ask for his opinion on the move, he will likely say he planned for it to play out exactly as it did. While this may be an ego trip, there’s some truth to it. All NBA teams make roster and coaching moves with the hope of eventually competing for a championship (unless you’re the Hornets). So let’s look back at the roster moves the Mavericks made and learn how to build an NBA title contender in 16 months.
How To Build An NBA Title Contender In 16 Months
Step 1: Trade for an All-NBA caliber talent
The road to contention started on February 5, 2023, when the Mavericks acquired Kyrie Irving via a trade with the Brooklyn Nets. The Mavs received Irving and Markieff Morris in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick, and multiple second-round picks. That deal now looks like a bargain.
At the time, Kyrie Irving was a uniquely distressed asset. Despite his obvious generational talent, he had a reputation for being a player with a lot of baggage. He had played on three teams over the last six years, with exits from each team being acrimonious.
In addition to those contentious exits, he was involved in some incidents over the years, including being banned from the Barclays Center due to COVID-19 vaccine-related restrictions and reposting an anti-Semitic video on social media, which he later had to backtrack on.
Needless to say, it was a huge risk when the Mavs made the move to pair Luka with Kyrie. Mark Cuban and the Mavs GM, Nick Harrison, did their homework. They asked around and were told that Kyrie was the consummate teammate. This gave them the information they needed to pull the trigger and make the deal.
On the Mavericks, Kyrie has done a complete 180 on his off-court image. He is now more cerebral and mature. There has been no incident since he joined the Mavs. He has been the consummate teammate (as the Mavs front office expected). His teammates love him and rally around him. Luka especially loves him. That’s what ultimately counts. They tried to pair Luka with Kristaps Porziņģis, but it didn’t work out because the two didn’t get along.
Step 2: Fix the most glaring roster issue through the draft
“Live to fight another day.” There’s wisdom in knowing when to cut one’s losses. Sometimes, efforts used in a futile venture can yield results if redirected elsewhere. After the 2023 All-Star break, the Mavs went 6-15, dropping from the fifth seed to an early vacation in April. The 2022 Western Conference finalists were in a dire state. The beginning of the Kyrie-Luka era got off to a rocky start. What they gained offensively in Kyrie was offset by what they lost defensively in making that trade. The Mavericks needed rebounding and rim protection. They took the traditional route to solve this glaring issue: the draft.
The Mavericks front office made the smart decision to tank the rest of the season a few games into the post-All-Star-break run to get the highest lottery pick possible. The Mavericks ended up with the 10th pick in the 2023 draft. On draft night, they traded that pick and Davis Bertans to the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 12th pick. The trade benefitted the Thunder by allowing them to move up two spots in the draft to get their man, Cason Wallace. The Mavericks shed the albatross contract of Bertans off their books while still being able to get their man. That man was Dereck Lively II. He checked all their boxes as their rim protector for the foreseeable future.
A lesser-known transaction happened on draft night. The Mavericks acquired Richaun Holmes and the rights to draft Olivier-Maxence Prosper from the Sacramento Kings for cash and a traded player exception (TPE). This little-known transaction would bear dividends just months later. It also gave the Mavericks a top 3-and-D prospect to develop for the future. The jury is still out on what Prosper can offer the Mavs organization.
Step 3: Fill out the roster through free agency
Entering the 2023 free agency, the Mavs had their superstar, second star, and starting center all figured out. What was left on their quest to build an NBA title contender? To fill out the roster with quality role players. They did just that.
They re-signed their free agents, like Kyrie Irving and Dwight Powell, to multi-year contracts. Then they made a swing in free agency, acquiring Grant Williams from the Boston Celtics (inadvertently, the Celtics created their NBA final opponents) via sign-and-trade. They also added quality fringe players like Dante Exum and Seth Curry. The Mavericks signed Derrick Jones Jr. to a one-year veteran minimum contract. They agreed to a rookie scale extension with Josh Green a day before the season started. The Mavericks were one step closer to building an NBA title contender.
Step 4: Dot your I’s and cross your T’s via trades
The Mavericks went into the trade deadline just six games above .500, precariously occupying eighth place in the standings. Last year at the deadline, they made the move to add Kyrie Irving. For the first time in his NBA career, Luka Dončić was playing with a secondary creator of Kyrie’s caliber. This was a fundamental shakeup to Dallas’ offense. Not having enough defense around them got the partnership off to a rough start. They concluded the regular season with an abysmal 5-11 record.
The Mavericks front office was determined to make the right moves at the trade deadline this time around. They acquired PJ Washington from the Charlotte Hornets for Grant Williams, Seth Curry, and the 2027 first-round pick. That same day, they got Daniel Gafford from the Washington Wizards for the 2024 first-round pick and Richaun Holmes. In just a few months, the Mavs had flipped cash and a TPE for Daniel Gafford, an elite rim deterrent and premier lob threat.
This time the Mavs blossomed following their deadline day transactions. Not only did they have the defensive personnel to protect the paint, but they also became more versatile offensively. It gave Doncic and Irving another lob threat in Gafford. It also gave them a mobile wing in PJ Washington they could trust on the perimeter. The shooting was always going to be streaky, but he was a gamble the Mavs were willing to take.
After spending years in Hornets purgatory away from the media spotlight, Washington had become a forgotten asset. He transitioned seamlessly from a role of being “the guy” at Charlotte to a very defined role. To build an NBA title contender, you need guys willing to buy into their roles wholeheartedly. His impact was felt on offense when Luka was double-teamed and they were left in 4-on-3 situations. He truly shined on the defensive end, bringing legitimacy to a promising Dallas defense with his size—6’7” with a 7’2” wingspan.
Following the trade, Dallas achieved a 20-6 record with Irving, Doncic, and Washington playing together. During their time on the court, they recorded an offensive rating of 117.5 and a defensive rating of 105.4. For context, the league-average defense allowed roughly 114.5 points per 100 possessions during the regular season. As they make their third finals appearance and look to win their second championship, it is worth revisiting the steps that helped them build an NBA title contender in just 16 months and learn from it.
