The Association: Dallas Mavericks

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Bobby Karalla-USA TODAY Sports

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The Mavericks have brought back their man after Paul George agreed to re-sign with the defending champs. "It was a no-brainer move," George told reporters during his press conference. "I want to keep this thing going and win multiple championships. Plus Cuban kept calling me on the daily like a crazy ex-girlfriend. He said he'll only stop if I committed so I kinda had my hands tied there.." It's reported the deal was worth $64 million over two years.

In other news, Dallas filled the center whole left by LaMarcus Aldridge and Diamond Stone in another future hall of famer, Marc Gasol. At 38 years of age, Gasol, who has only been with one team his entire career, decided a change of scenery was best for him. Gasol earlier thanked the city of Memphis via twitter and cited the move was solely a last ditch effort to win a title but admitted that fellow Spaniard, Ricky Rubio, played a part in swaying his decision.

No real shock movement in this years' free agency, with most teams able to retain their star players. One notable move was Harrison Barnes returning back to the Western Conference and joining the Houston Rockets. Barnes was part of the Dallas championship team back in 2021 and last played for the Pacers as part of the trade that brought Paul George to the Mavs.

You can see other notable player movements in free agency below.
* Mavericks signings highlighted in blue.

• Lakers re-sign D'Angelo Russell to 5yr/$174.61M deal
• Heat re-sign Josh Jackson to 5yr/$174.61M deal
• Rockets sign Harrison Barnes to 3yr/$22.25M deal
• Jazz re-sign Axel Romero to 4yr/$114M deal
• Hornets re-sign Sheldon Overton to $4yr/$114M deal
• Warriors re-sign Damian Jones to 4yr/$16.21M deal
• 76ers sign Avery Bradley to 4yr/$5.81M deal
• Clippers sign Taurean Prince to 3yr/$22.25M deal
• Kings sign Patrick McCaw to 3yr/$15.51M deal
• Hornets sign Isaac Tate to 4yr/$73.71M deal
• Celtics re-sign Derrick Favors to 4yr/$64.25M deal
• Mavericks sign Marc Gasol to 1yr/$4M deal
• Cavaliers sign Brandon McCoy to 3yr/$26.69M deal
• Pacers re-sign Myles Turner to 5yr/$174.61M deal
• Knicks re-sign Kemba Walker to 3yr/$104.84M deal
• Lakers re-sign Alejandro Ruiz to 5yr/$145.50M deal
• Suns re-sign Khalil Carson to 4yr/$114M deal
• Knicks re-sign DeMar Brooks to 5yr/$145.50M deal
• Thunder re-sign Domantas Sabonis to 4yr/$108.25M deal
• Nets re-sign Nicolas Batum to 3yr/$47.28M deal
• Rockets re-sign Clint Capela to 4yr/$76.89M deal
• Nets re-sign Denzel Valentine to 3yr/$50.10M deal
• Heat re-sign Wizard Kelly to 3yr/$76.83M deal
• Celtics re-sign Solomon N'diaye to 3yr/$80.15M deal
• Nets re-sign Leon Best to 4yr/$114M deal
• Celtics re-sign Antonio Blakeney to 3yr/$20.28M deal
• Jazz re-sign Marcus Barrow to 4yr/$114M deal
• Mavericks sign Khris Middleton to 1yr/$3.10M deal
• Cavaliers sign Major Banks to 3yr/$53.14M deal
• Celtics re-sign Greg Monroe to 4yr/$81.89M deal
• Mavericks sign Kenneth Faried to 1yr/$1.24M deal
• Kings sign Paul Chapman to 3yr/$27.83M deal
• Bulls sign Dzanan Musa to 2yr/$26.56M deal
• Kings sign Juan Hernangomez to 2yr/$26.03M deal
• Hawks re-sign Stephen Zimmerman to 2yr/$20.06M deal
• Magic sign Dejounte Murray to 3yr/$57.98M deal
• Bulls sign Malcolm Brogdon to 3yr/$54.88M deal
• Pacers sign Steven Jones to 3yr/$64.12M deal
• Wizards sign Kevin Love 4yr/$106.75M deal
• Cavaliers sign Larry Nance Jr. to 3yr/$41.08M deal
• Grizzlies sign Cameron Payne to 2yr/$20.22M deal
• Hawks sign Victor Oladipo to 2yr/$14.67M deal
• Nets sign Tyus Jones to 2yr/$25.63M deal
• Pistons re-sign Kostja Mushidi to 3yr/$53.31M deal
• Kings sign Tyler Ulis to 2yr/$22.87M deal
• Hawks sign Deyonta Davis to 3yr/$55.14M deal
• Mavericks re-sign Chevon Best to 1yr/$1.10M deal

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In the twilight of his career, can Marc Gasol help the Mavs repeat?   |   Bobby Karalla-USA TODAY Sports

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With the Mavs 2023-24 schedule released on yesterday morning, Dallas will be opening their 44th season at home against the Denver Nuggets. But before the game, they'll also receive their championship rings as well as raising the banner for their third title in franchise history.

Dallas will then travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs on November 18.

On January 13, Harrison Barnes will make his return to the American Airlines Center as the Rockets take on the Mavericks. Barnes was traded last season as part of the deal that brought Paul George to Dallas.

On February 12, the Mavs will travel to New Orleans to face the Pelicans, in a rematch of last season's Western Conference finals.

Dallas will the conclude their season on April 12, hosting against the Timberwolves.

You can see the full schedule below.

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2023-24 Season Preview

The Mavericks won it all last season thanks to a brilliant postseason outing from their Big 3 (DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall and Paul George). The ring was definitely a huge incentive with Paul George re-signing on a two-year deal.

Furthermore, Dallas acquired Ricky Rubio during Draft Day to solidify their backup playmaker as well as address some defensive lapses at times last season when Jrue Holiday was in. During free agency, the Mavericks were able to sign veteran Marc Gasol, Kenneth Faried and Khris Middleton to fill in the void left by retirees, LaMarcus Aldridge and Wesley Matthews.

On paper, the Mavericks look poised to repeat as champions, but after taking a closer look, only three players on the roster are under the age of 30. In turn, Dallas is arguably boasting the oldest roster in the league with a combine average of 30.8 years of age. Will the experience be enough however?

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Team Roster

	#11 John Wall | PG University of Kentucky
	Height: 6'4"	DOB: Sep 6, 1990 (33 years old)
	Weight: 210 lbs	Drafted: 2010 (1st Rnd, 1st by WAS)
	Nationality: American	Experience: 13 years
STATS GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2022-23 Season 14 32.9 51.8 70.9 3.1 12.2 2.9 0.4 20.1 Career 519 35.3 44.1 78.4 4.3 9.4 1.8 0.6 18.5

	#7 Serge Ibaka | PF CB L'Hospitalet (Spain)
	Height: 6'10"	DOB: Sep 18, 1989 (34 years old)
	Weight: 235 lbs	Drafted: 2008 (1st Rnd, 24th by SEA)
	Nationality: Congolese/Spanish	Experience: 14 years
STATS GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2022-23 Season 14 27.9 50.0 100.0 6.6 1.4 1.1 1.6 5.4 Career 622 28.8 51.6 75.9 7.3 0.7 0.5 2.3 11.2

	#10 Tim Hardaway Jr. | SG University of Michigan
	Height: 6'6"	DOB: Mar 16, 1992 (31 years old)
	Weight: 205 lbs	Drafted: 2013 (1st Rnd, 24th by NYK)
	Nationality: American	Experience: 10 years
STATS GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2022-23 Season 14 26.9 47.0 77.8 2.1 1.4 1.1 0.1 6.7 Career 300 23.0 41.8 83.8 1.9 1.3 0.5 0.2 9.3

	#12 DeMarcus Cousins | C University of Kentucky
	Height: 6'11"	DOB: Aug 13, 1990 (33 years old)
	Weight: 270 lbs	Drafted: 2010 (1st Rnd, 5th by SAC)
	Nationality: American	Experience: 13 years
STATS GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2022-23 Season 14 33.9 59.8 69.9 11.4 1.7 1.1 1.9 27.6 Career 509 31.8 47.9 73.2 11.1 2.7 1.4 1.3 21.0

	#25 Chandler Parsons | PF/SF University of Florida
	Height: 6'10"	DOB: October 25, 1988 (35 years old)
	Weight: 230 lbs	Drafted: 2011 (2nd Rnd, 38th by HOU)
	Nationality: American	Experience: 12 years
STATS GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2022-23 Season 10 16.4 39.0 55.6 2.3 0.6 0.4 0.5 4.8 Career 433 31.4 46.7 69.1 4.7 2.8 1.0 0.4 13.7

	#13 Paul George | SF California State University, Fresno
	Height: 6'10"	DOB: May 2, 1990 (33 years old)
	Weight: 220 lbs	Drafted: 2010 (1st Rnd, 10th by IND)
	Nationality: American	Experience: 13 years
STATS GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2022-23 Season 14 33.3 42.9 87.3 6.4 1.8 1.1 0.1 23.6 Career 470 33.0 43.1 84.6 6.5 3.4 1.8 0.6 18.1

	#8 Bronx Johnson | SF University of Kentucky
	Height: 6'7"	Age: 20 years old
	Weight: 220 lbs	Drafted: 2022 (1st Rnd, 22nd by DAL)
	Nationality: American	Experience: 1 year
STATS GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2022-23 Season 14 20.3 50.6 69.2 2.9 0.8 0.5 1.0 7.8 Career 14 20.3 50.6 69.2 2.9 0.8 0.5 1.0 7.8

	#3 Kenny Guzman | SG Texas Tech University
	Height: 6'4"	Age: 23 years old
	Weight: 220 lbs	Drafted: 2022 (2nd Rnd, 51st by DAL)
	Nationality: American	Experience: 1 year
STATS GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2022-23 Season 7 10.6 26.1 100.0 0.3 0.6 0.4 0.0 3.0 Career 7 10.6 26.1 100.0 0.3 0.6 0.4 0.0 3.0

	#17 Chevon Best | PG Wichita State University
	Height: 5'9"	Age: 22 years old
	Weight: 170 lbs	Drafted: 2022 (2nd Rnd, 32nd by CHA)
	Nationality: American	Experience: 1 year
STATS GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2022-23 Season 4 4.5 0.0 100.0 0.0 1.3 0.0 0.0 0.5 Career 4 4.5 0.0 100.0 0.0 1.3 0.0 0.0 0.5

	#9 Ricky Rubio | PG Divina Seguros Joventut (Spain)
	Height: 6'4"	DOB: Oct 21, 1990 (33 years old)
	Weight: 190 lbs	Drafted: 2009 (1st Rnd, 5th by MIN)
	Nationality: Spanish	Experience: 12 years
STATS GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2022-23 Season 14 18.2 40.7 95.0 2.3 4.3 1.2 0.0 4.9 Career 374 29.5 36.8 82.3 4.1 7.6 2.1 0.1 9.2

	#33 Marc Gasol | C Sant Josep Girona (Spain)
	Height: 7'1"	DOB: Jan 29, 1985 (38 years old)
	Weight: 255 lbs	Drafted: 2009 (2nd Rnd, 48th by LAL)
	Nationality: Spanish	Experience: 15 years
STATS GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2022-23 Season 10 28.7 49.0 84.6 5.4 3.2 0.8 1.4 13.5 Career 662 33.3 49.3 76.8 7.8 3.2 0.9 1.5 14.4

	#32 Khris Middleton | SG/SF Texas A&M
	Height: 6'8"	DOB: Aug 12, 1991 (32 years old)
	Weight: 234 lbs	Drafted: 2012 (2nd Rnd, 39th by DET)
	Nationality: American	Experience: 11 years
STATS GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2022-23 Season 3 6.3 0.0 100.0 0.7 1.0 0.3 0.0 1.3 Career 335 29.3 44.1 86.6 3.5 2.7 1.2 0.2 13.6

	#35 Kenneth Faried | PF Morehead State University
	Height: 6'8"	DOB: Nov 19, 1989 (33 years old)
	Weight: 228 lbs	Drafted: 2011 (1st Rnd, 22nd by DEN)
	Nationality: American	Experience: 12 years
STATS GP MPG FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG 2022-23 Season 2 23.0 33.3 75.0 5.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 4.5 Career 421 25.7 53.5 64.0 8.4 1.0 0.7 0.9 11.6

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Player Contracts

Key: Team Option, Player Option, Non-Guaranteed

PLAYER	2023-24	2024-25	2025-26	2026-27	2027-28
DeMarcus Cousins	$37,100,000	$38,690,000
John Wall	$36,580,000	$38,150,000
Paul George	$31,700,000	$33,130,000
Serge Ibaka	$6,790,000	$7,090,000
Ricky Rubio	$4,030,000
Marc Gasol	$4,000,000
Khris Middleton	$3,100,000
Bronx Johnson	$1,350,000	$1,400,000	$2,310,000
Chandler Parsons	$1,240,000
Kenneth Faried	$1,240,000
Tim Hardaway Jr.	$1,240,000	$1,910,000
Kenny Guzman	$1,200,000
Chevon Best	$1,100,000

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Future Draft Pick Status

IN	OUT
	2024 first round draft pick to Detroit Unprotected 2025 first round draft pick to Indiana. Unprotected.

[trekfan]

Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

Loving the addition of Marc Gasol, Middleton, and Faried. Your roster is definitely older, but the shortened season and high stakes makes it an advantage, not a liability. Injury prevention is going to be key, as is finding the young guy who'll step up -- who among the youth Dallas has will be part of the future?

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Since the Mavericks were crowned the NBA Champions last season, many teams have undergone a number of changes over the long summer offseason. NBA.com's John Schuhmann will grade each franchise -- from the best team to the last -- in the inaugural Power Rankings for the 2023-24 NBA season.

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NBA.com's Power Rankings, are just one man's opinion. If you have an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for John Schuhmann, send him an e-mail or contact him via Twitter.

1

Minnesota (Last season: 9-5) Head Coach: David Blatt Although they lost Isaac Tate through free agency, the main core is still intact. However, it's make or break time with both McCollum and Giles on the last year of their contracts.

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Kris Dunn	Raul Neto	Trey McNeal
SG	C.J. McCollum	Ben McLemore	Iman Shumpert
SF	Andrew Wiggins	Rodney Gaines	Jerami Grant
PF	Harry Giles	Chief Thompson
C	Karl-Anthony Towns	Marco Gomez

2

Denver (Last season: 4-10) Head Coach: Benjamin Walker With a new coach in town, there is nowhere to go but up for the Nuggets

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	De'Aaron Fox	Emmanuel Mudiay	Isaac Bishop	Deshaun Hudson
SG	Jamal Murray	Johnson Jones
SF	Jonathan Isaac	Michael Kidd-Gilchrist	Kostas Antetokounmpo
PF	Nikola Jokic	Brice Johnson	Sacha Killeya-Jones
C	De'Andre Ayton

3

Philadelphia (Last season: 8-6) Head Coach: Mike Budenholzer Can the addition of veterans Avery Bradley and Michael Carter-Williams steer the 76ers back into the right mindset?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Elfrid Payton	Michael Carter-Williams	Jrue Holiday
SG	Avery Bradley	Terrance Ferguson	Rashad Vaughn
SF	Ben Simmons	Darion Mitchell
PF	Jahlil Okafor	Jarnell Stokes	Terrence Jones
C	Joel Embiid	Dainius Vinicius

4

Golden State (Last season: 9-5) Head Coach: Steve Kerr With the core looking like they're on the last leg of their prime, is this the last ride for the great dynasty?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Stephen Curry	Scooter Patterson	Shelvin Mack
SG	Klay Thompson	Terrence Ross
SF	Kevin Durant	Justin Crawford
PF	Draymond Green	Joel Bolomboy
C	Damian Jones	Willy Hernangomez	Reggie Davis	Daequan Harris

5

L.A. Lakers (Last season: 8-6) Head Coach: Quin Snyder After making their first playoff appearance in almost a decade, are the Lakers' woes finally over?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Alejandro Ruiz	Trevon Duval
SG	D'Angelo Russell	Dion Waiters	Will Barton
SF	Brandon Ingram	Andre Roberson
PF	Blake Griffin	Simi ****tu	Bob Rush
C	Earl Norton	Skyler Olson	Devon Sharpe

6

Cleveland (Last season: 8-6) Head Coach: Tyronn Lue Kelly Oubre has the impossible task of filling in the King's shoes.

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Kyrie Irving	Austin Rivers
SG	Major Banks	Allonzo Trier
SF	Kelly Oubre	Malcolm Hill	D'Angelo Black	Marcelo Garcia
PF	Larry Nance Jr.	Chris McCullough
C	Tristan Thompson	Brandon McCoy	Quentin Malone

7

Portland (Last season: 9-5) Head Coach: Kevin McHale The Trail Blazer's swap of McCollum for LaVin so far has not paid off. Will year 2 be any different?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Damian Lillard	Jerian Grant
SG	Zach LaVine	Malcolm Gibbs	Lance Stephenson
SF	Miles Bridges	Patrick Berry
PF	Bam Adebayo	Dwight Powell	Caleb Anderson	Jordan Mickey
C	Marquese Chriss	Tony Bradley

8

San Antonio (Last season: 2-12) Head Coach: Gregg Popovich With Kawhi Leonard back to 100% health, will he and number one pick, Marvin Bagley, be an instant hit?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Malik Monk	Sherron Davis
SG	Hamidou Diallo	Braden Samuel
SF	Kawhi Leonard	Doug McDermott
PF	Marvin Bagley III	Trey Lyles	Tyler Lydon
C	Thomas Bryant	Iki Anigbogu	Jonathan Jeanne	Wayman Little

9

Dallas (Last season: 11-3) Head Coach: Rick Carlisle Boasting the oldest roster in the league, do the Mavs have what it takes to repeat?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	John Wall	Ricky Rubio	Chevon Best
SG	Tim Hardaway Jr.	Khris Middleton	Kenny Guzman
SF	Paul George	Bronx Johnson
PF	Serge Ibaka	Chandler Parsons	Kenneth Faried
C	DeMarcus Cousins	Marc Gasol

10

New Orleans (Last season: 10-4) Head Coach: Alvin Gentry We all saw what the Pelicans were capable of when healthy, now can they take it up another notch?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Russell Westbrook	Brandon Knight
SG	Buddy Hield	Jamaal Powers
SF	Isaac Bonga	Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot
PF	Anthony Davis	Wenyen Gabriel	Caleb Swanigan	Clint Erickson
C	Marques Bolden	Malik Jackson	Diamond Stone

11

Detroit (Last season: 5-9) Head Coach: David Joerger With a whole year under his belt, is Tyshawn Atkins ready to lead the Pistons back into the Playoffs?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Tyshawn Atkins	Immanuel Quickley
SG	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	Kostja Mushidi	Kerwin Roach
SF	Stanley Johnson	Norman Powell
PF	Lauri Markkanen	Chimezie Metu	Brayden Tyler	Carlton Bragg Jr.
C	Andre Drummond	Richaun Holmes

12

L.A. Clippers (Last season: 8-6) Head Coach: Jason Kidd They keys have finally be handed over to Collin Sexton now with Chris Paul retiring. Is he and Dejounte Miller the future backcourt duo of the league?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Collin Sexton	Jacob Walsh
SG	Dejounte Miller	Allen Crabbe
SF	Taurean Prince	Justin Jackson	James Michael Johnson-King
PF	Kevon Looney	Markieff Morris	Bernard Benjamin
C	DeAndre Jordan	A.J. Hammons	Ion Eminescu

13

Milwaukee (Last season: 7-7) Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau Can the Bucks bounce-back after a subpar season?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Giannis Antetokounmpo	Reggie Jackson
SG	Evan Fournier	Seth Curry
SF	Troy Brown Jr.
PF	Skal Labissiere	Jared Sullinger	Pascal Siakam	Shareef O'Neal
C	Nerlens Noel	Eddy Thomas	E.J. Montgomery	Al Horford

14

Boston (Last season: 5-9) Head Coach: Doc Rivers Even with Doc back in town, it was yet another disappointing season for the C's. Are big changes coming ahead this season?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Isaiah Thomas	Eric Bledsoe
SG	Russell Warner	Shake Milton	Rondae Hollis-Jefferson	Antonio Blakeney
SF	Jaylen Brown	Jae Crowder
PF	Ivan Rabb	Derrick Favors	Dario Golob	Jordan Brown
C	Randall Person	Greg Monroe	Solomon N'diaye

15

Oklahoma City (Last season: 5-9) Head Coach: Ime Udoka The Thunder made some bold moves during draft day, fast tracking their development and trading away their pick for two-time All-Star, Luka Doncic. So far, so good.

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Matthew Holland	Trey Burke	Terry Rozier	T.J. McConnell
SG	Josh Richardson	Rawle Alkins
SF	Luka Doncic	V.J. Beachem
PF	Ivica Zubac	Domantas Sabonis	Joffrey Lauvergne
C	Moses Williams	Bobby Portis

16

Chicago (Last season: 8-6) Head Coach: Brad Stevens With Jimmy Butler on the last year of his deal, will he get dealt during the season?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Malcolm Brogdon	Tony Wroten	Ernesto D'Angelo
SG	Jimmy Butler	Malachi Richardson
SF	Darnell Hardaway	Dzanan Musa	Matthew Hope	Cameron Reddish
PF	Maurice Harkless	Donatas Motiejunas
C	Wendell Carter	Lucas Nogueira	Solomon Sene

17

Utah (Last season: 8-6) Head Coach: Nate McMillan The Jazz made some strides during the second half of last season but ultimately fell short in the Playoffs. They'll be looking to continue riding the momentum this season.

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Markelle Fultz	Kyle Lowry	Braxton Johnson
SG	Bradley Beal	DeMar DeRozan
SF	Michael Porter Jr.	DeAndre Lawrence
PF	Axel Romero	Montrezl Harrell	Doug Andersen
C	Rudy Gobert	Marcus Barrow	Hassan Whiteside

18

Memphis (Last season: 4-10) Head Coach: Logan Schmidt The Grizzlies made some bold moves during draft day, trading away their lottery pick for Gary Harris. It'll be interesting how they shape out now that Marc Gasol is no longer protecting the paint.

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Mike Conley	Marcus Smart	Cameron Payne
SG	Gary Harris	Tyreke Evans	Courtney Walker
SF	T.J. Warren	Devin Robinson
PF	Bennie Boatwright	Davis Bertans
C	Noah Vonleh	Isaiah Hartenstein	Alex Murphy

19

Washington (Last season: 11-3) Head Coach: Sidney Lowe The Wizards handed a massive long-term deal to Kevin Love at the age of 35. Sure they've boosted their front-court depth, but their back-court is severely lacking.

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Dennis Smith Jr.	Tyler Ennis	Trevor Ashley
SG	Gordon Hayward	Grayson Allen
SF	Otto Porter	Clifton Everett
PF	Kevin Love	Enes Kanter	Jon Leuer
C	Brandon O'Neal	Jacob Jackson	John Henson

20

Phoenix (Last season: 6-8) Head Coach: Jeff Hornacek An underwhelming outing last year, the Suns will look to bounce back in a big way.

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Lonzo Ball	Joseph Young	Tomas Satoransky
SG	Devin Booker	Hughie Daniels	James Young
SF	Jabari Parker	Mirko Radja
PF	Dragan Bender	Tobias Harris	Armando Perez
C	Mohamed Bamba	Khalil Carson

21

Indiana (Last season: 9-5) Head Coach: Terry Stotts After re-signing a huge long-term deal, they keys is all Myles Turners'. Question is, what will he do with it?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Cory Joseph	Edmond Sumner	Patrick Beverley
SG	Lonnie Walker	Bruce Brown	Louis Harrington	Kris Thompkins
SF	Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk	Justin Anderson	Jayden Johnson
PF	Myles Turner	JaMychal Green
C	Steven Jones	Steven Adams

22

Houston (Last season: 6-8) Head Coach: Sam Cassell Are the Rockets doomed for another mediocre season?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Martell Jackson	George Hill
SG	James Harden	Kent Bazemore	Kyle Guy	Josh Robinson
SF	Mario Hezonja	Harrison Barnes	Dakoulas Balidis
PF	Julius Randle
C	Thon Maker	Clint Capela	Willie Cauley-Stein

23

Atlanta (Last season: 8-6) Head Coach: Erik Spoelstra Are the Hawks ready to be the next big thing in the East?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Dennis Schroder
SG	Erik Wright	Caris LeVert	Victor Oladipo
SF	O.G. Anunoby	Mikal Bridges
PF	Milos Dabanovic	Deyonta Davis	Wilson Thomas	Cheick Diallo
C	Raymar Benjamin	Alex Len	Stephen Zimmerman

24

Charlotte (Last season: 8-6) Head Coach: Scott Brooks With Hornets committed to Sheldon Overton as the point guard of the future, will it be the right move?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Sheldon Overton	Isaac Tate	Sean Jean-Charles	Sidney Carter
SG	Tim Potter	Jabari Logan
SF	Jarell Benson	Bob Chambers	Brett Trent
PF	Jusuf Nurkic	Nikola Mirotic	Karl Winston
C	Lawrence Howard	Cody Zeller	Caron Brownstein

25

Sacramento (Last season: 6-8) Head Coach: Mike D'Antoni The Kings seem to be destined for another lottery year especially with their latest shrewd of signings.

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Frank Ntilikina	Tyler Ulis
SG	Patrick McCaw	Dante Exum	Paul Chapman
SF	Kyle Anderson	Rolando Blackwell
PF	Juan Hernangomez	Thaddeus Young	Wyatt Lee	Lance Lee
C	Georgios Papagiannis	Elliot Newble	Omer Yurtseven	Moses Brown

26

Orlando (Last season: 9-5) Head Coach: Dwane Casey With a new point guard in town, can Dejounte Murray take the Magic to the next level?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Dejounte Murray	Derrick Rose	Jahill Summers	Isaiah Briscoe
SG	Tyler Johnson	Andrew Harrison
SF	Steve Lever	Nasir Abdul-Wahad	Sylven Belemene	Evan Ward
PF	Aaron Gordon	Jay Daniel
C	Nikola Vucevic	Fred Brady	Bol Bol

27

Toronto (Last season: 4-10) Head Coach: Jerry Stackhouse The Raptors seem to have found a dime in Ja'Kel Smart. Can they keep up the trend in Zion Williamson?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Ja'Kel Smart	Frank Jackson	Wade Baldwin
SG	Jordan Clarkson	Juvonte Stokes	Ifeanyi Lawal	Stacey Williams
SF	Kevin Knox	/td>
PF	Zion Williamson	Marcus Blackwell	Deonte King
C	Jakob Poeltl	Jonas Valanciunas

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Brooklyn (Last season: 2-12) Head Coach: Steve Clifford Can new coach, Steve Clifford, change the culture of the Nets or will it be more turmoil?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Tyus Jones	Jeremy Lin	Conrad Elliott
SG	Denzel Valentine	Romeo Langford	Alec Burks	Rion Strickland
SF	Nicolas Batum	Jonathan Greene	Marcus Holmes
PF	Dario Saric	Alan Carter
C	Leon Best	Damir Markovic	Janis Krstic

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New York (Last season: 6-8) Head Coach: Billy Donovan Same team, new coach. Probably same result?

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Kemba Walker	Darius Garland
SG	DeMar Brooks	Alex Abrines	Gabe Madison
SF	Jayson Tatum	Bojan Bogdanovic	Shabazz Muhammad
PF	Frank Kaminsky	Tyronn Singleton	J.T. Woods
C	Kristaps Porzingis	Emmanuel Owens

30

Miami (Last season: 7-7) Head Coach: Dwyane Wade Miami look to be on the verge of lottery land but they still got this guy named Josh Jackson.

Projected Depth Chart
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
PG	Melo Trimble	Shondre Mac
SG	Rodney Hood	Donovan Mitchell	Boss Benson
SF	Josh Jackson	Wizard Kelly	Isaiah Pondexter
PF	Justise Winslow	Martin Olic
C	Chinanu Onuaku	Kelly Olynyk	Bismack Biyombo

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Nuggets spoiler Maverick's night after receiving championship ring

November 6, 2023 | by NBA News

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Dallas' ring celebrations were short lived after losing to the Nuggets 103-110.

Denver was all business, locking Dallas to just 19 points in the first quarter before outscoring them in the fourth, 34-25.

Jonathan Isaac led the team with 21 points, knocking two clutch triples with a minute in the game and sealing the Nuggets to start the new season with a win.

With many NBA analysts tipping the Nuggets to bounce back this season, they're already on the right track, dismantling the defending champions while sending a statement to the rest of the league.

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Maverick's bench power past Spurs

November 18, 2023 | by NBA News

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With the game going neck and neck throughout the game, it wasn't until the third quarter where Dallas broke through with 26-15 run, largely by the performance of the bench. The Mavs ended up winning 103-92 with Paul George leading with 24 points.

But it was all about the second unit, with Marc Gasol posting 15 points and 10 rebounds while Ricky Rubio chipped in with 8 assists. Khris Middleton also finished with 9 points (3/6 from downtown). Middleton, who saw the bench for most of his time last season with the Hornets, has seen an early resurgence in his career, averaging 10 PPG while knocking three treys per game and is so far loving life in Dallas. "I mean no disrespect to the Charlotte organization, but man, when you got guys like John and Ricky handling the rock, they're bound to find a guy like me wide open 99% of the time. I'm lovin' it so far" a delighted Middleton spoke to reporters after the game.

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Hernangomez torches Mavericks in an unlikely win

December 2, 2023 | by NBA News

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The Kings have finally earned their first win of the season thanks to the heroics of Juan Hernangomez, who finished with 36 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 13/19 from the field (5/9 from three-point).

Dallas simply had no answers for him, trailing from the start after the Kings went on an early 10-0 run. Turnovers were also a concern for the Mavericks, committing 19 tonight as well as giving away 21 second chance points.

Despite a monstrous performance in the Finals, which earned him the MVP, DeMarcus Cousins has yet to see similar productions so far this season, with another lackluster performance. He finished with just 17 points and 7 rebounds. A disappointing Cousins spoke with reporters after the game, vowing to improve next time. "Man, this game was on me tonight, especially on the boards. I mean 7 rebounds is not acceptable especially with what I'm capable of. I mean, I average a double-double for my career, and giving away those freebies is on me."

They'll have their hands full as they visit a tough Phoenix Suns team in their next game.

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Wall's 33 lifts Mavericks past the Suns

December 23, 2023 | by NBA News

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Dallas got back on track with a big road win over Phoenix, winning 124-107. It wasn't until the second half where the Mavericks kicked it into another gear, outscoring the Suns, 71-54.

John Wall led with 33 points and 11 assists while DeMarcus Cousins finally got over his championship hangover, dropping a season high 30 points to go with 14 rebounds.

After the game, a relieved Cousins spoke with reporters citing the belief his teammates had in him. "Oh man a big part of my game tonight was because of my teammates. John especially man. He kept feeding me the ball down-low and encouraging me to take the shot. I'm just blessed to have, not just teammates on the floor every night, but brothers on and off the court. We've been through the ups and downs and I'm glad we got the job done tonight."

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Mavericks survive Rockets' fourth quarter scare, win 109-103

January 13, 2024 | by NBA News

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Things looked as smooth as possible with Dallas leading by as much as 20 points at one stage, however, in the fourth quarter, things started to take a turn for the worst, with the Rockets outscoring them 37-26 in the quarter. Fortunately, John Wall steered the ship right back on course, dropping 13 of his 34 points, whilst also finishing the game with 15 assists.

DeMarcus Cousins was also effective, filling up 19 points and 10 rebounds on 8/13 shooting.

Meanwhile for Houston, despite dominating the boards with 51 rebounds (19 offensive), they simply couldn't compensate for their poor shooting night, making just 41% and knocking down just 7/26 from downtown. The game also saw the Dallas return of Harrison Barnes. However, he didn't do much in his limited time, scoring just 6 points and 3 rebounds, but did get a rousing applause from the crowd for his contributions as a Mav.

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Mavericks outlast Clippers,
112-111, but lose Wall in the process

January 19, 2024 | by NBA News

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Dallas notched their third straight victory after defeating the Clippers. But it came at a hefty price, with Wall going down late in the fourth quarter in what looked to be a non-contact injury on a fast break. In fact, he was in so much pain that teammates had to carry him off as he couldn't put any pressure on his leg. Early speculations believed that he may have suffered some kind of ankle injury but team doctors will conduct an MRI test tomorrow morning for further evaluation.

After the game, coach Rick Carlisle suggested that Wall could be sidelined for a lengthy period. "It didn't look good at all. Doctors initially told me that we could be looking at months, not weeks or days." It's widely expected that Ricky Rubio will fill the void in Wall's absence.

Nonetheless, it's a huge blow for the Mavs as Wall had been playing some of his best basketball of his career thus far. He finished this game with 27 points and 10 rebounds. With Wall leaving the game, Dallas narrowly escaped the win, with DeMarcus Cousins pouring in 26 points and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, Clippers point guard, Collin Sexton, had a rough outing shooting just 10/33 for 28 points, but did a little bit of everything else with 8 rebounds and 10 assists.

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Mavericks' big fourth quarter lifts them past Jazz

January 30, 2024 | by NBA News

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With John Wall set to miss the next couple of months with a broken ankle, it was Ricky Rubio that started in his absence, and boy did he do his best impression, posting 13 points, 13 assists and 4 steals while also containing Jazz point guard, Markelle Fultz, to just 8/23 shooting.

Rubio was aided by Paul George and DeMarcus Cousins, whom both finished with 30 and 28 points respectively to help Dallas defeat Utah 118-98.

After the game, Mavs coach, Rick Carlisle, praised Rubio for his efforts tonight, citing the value of his playmaking and defensive presence that he has brought to the team this season. "I thought he played really well tonight. He's a very smart, disciplined player, and we are so lucky to have him onboard. I mean, we're bound to go through some rough stretches without John, and it's going to take a collective effort, but I thought both Ricky and Chevon did an admirable job tonight."

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[trekfan]

Re: The Association: Dallas Mavericks

Man, Wall being out is a huge blow but that veteran depth makes up for it -- RUBIO! doing his thing. Very pleased to see the team gelling so well. Gonna be up to Cousins and PG13 to keep the Mavs the dominating power they are in Wall's absence. You guys look like you're in playoff mode already, which has to be scary for the rest of the league.

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Davis comes up clutch as Pelicans down the Mavericks, 97-95

February 12, 2024 | by NBA News

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In a replay of last year's Western Conference Finals, it was the Pelicans who avenged their loss, defeating Dallas by 2 points.

Pelicans forward, Anthony Davis, made the big shots when it mattered most, scoring two consecutive buckets with less than a minute remaining. He finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds while Russell Westbrook filled the box score with 20 points, 7 assists and 5 steals.

Rebounding was a big part of the win, with New Orleans hauling down 56 rebounds collectively, and scoring 20 second chance points. With a mediocre record of 3-3, the win now gives the Pelicans a little breather in solidifying a playoff spot.

As for the Mavs, it was a tough shooting night for the team, but more so for Ricky Rubio, who missed all 7 field goal attempts. It was a bit of a letdown after scoring a season-high 13 points in his last game. He'll look to bounce back in Dallas' next game against the OKC Thunder, but it won't be no easy match-up as recently announced All-Star starter, Matthew Holland, awaits.

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Thunder spoils Cousins' big night in double OT thriller

February 19, 2024 | by NBA News

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In a game that was full of big shots and big plays, it was OKC that came out on top, defeating Dallas 144-139 in a double overtime spectacle.

Matthew Holland led with 27 points and 11 assists while both power forwards, Domantas Sabonis and Ivica Zubac, chipped in with 46 points combined to help the Thunder outlast the win.

Despite dropping a season-high 47 points, things didn't exactly pan out the way Cousins would have liked as he had two chances to seal the game but couldn't capitalize either one. Nearing the end of regulation, Cousins missed both his free throw attempts that would have given the Mavericks the led with the Thunder having no time-outs remaining. Then, in the first overtime, Cousins made a careless inbound pass that was intercepted by Bobby Portis, for which turned into a three-point bucket down the other end by Josh Richardson to tie the game with just 1.8 seconds remaining.

A clearly distraught Cousins spoke to reporters in the locker room shortly after. "Man I don't care what the stat sheet says. 47 points don't mean a thing if we don't get the W. I felt like I cost us the game. Plain and simple."

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