Community Shootaround: Dallas Mavericks

At least Hassan Whiteside made it quick this year. Unlike last summer when the Mavericks thought they were getting DeAndre Jordan for an entire week before he changed his mind and stayed with the Clippers, Whiteside gave Dallas a speedy, if harsh, decision.

Only a matter of hours passed between the time The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski declared Dallas to be the frontrunner to sign Whiteside and the Miami center’s announcement on social media this morning. The Heat kept the league’s top shot blocker, although it cost them a maximum contract that they reportedly preferred not to give, and Dallas was left disappointed again.

But that wasn’t the only gut punch for the Mavericks in the early hours of free agency. Small forward Nicolas Batum, another player the Mavericks thought they had a good shot to land, agreed to re-sign with the Hornets for $120MM over five years.

Dallas is still scheduled to meet today with Memphis point guard Mike Conley, but a new rumor suggests that he has talked to Mavericks small forward Chandler Parsons about teaming up with the Grizzlies. The Mavericks are reportedly unwilling to meet Parsons’ demand for a maximum deal and he already has a max offer from the Blazers, so there appears to be little chance that he re-signs in Dallas.

That brings us to our question for today: With Parsons seemingly gone and the Mavericks’ top choices at center and small forward already off the board, what should Mark Cuban’s next step be? Should he offer Conley a max deal? Should he chase another big name big man like Dwight Howard or Al Horford? Or should he avoid max players and try to rebuild with a collection of under-the-radar free agents? Cuban wants to give Dirk Nowitzki a chance at another ring before he retires, but the Mavericks will have to act quickly after a disastrous start to this offseason.

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

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