Despite fans wanting the Dallas Mavericks to go trade for a near All-Star point guard this offseason, they opted to go the safer route and signed D’Angelo Russell to the Taxpayer’s MLE. Coming off arguably the worst season of his career, Russell is primed for a bounce-back season on a one-plus-one deal with the Mavericks this season, though it’s undeniable that fans should be wary of this actually happening, especially considering Russell’s 3-point shooting woes last year.
The Mavericks may be limited from a spacing perspective, considering their heavy reliance on playing double-big, so they’ll need their wings and guards to hone in on their outside shooting, and this starts with Russell at the top of the lineup, especially since Kyrie Irving will miss a solid chunk of next season rehabbing from a torn ACL.