Say what you will about the Dallas Mavericks and owner Mark Cuban, but they have foresight.
DeMarcus Cousins, the NBA’s best center when locked in, will be a free agent in 2018. That seems like a lifetime away, and many expect the Sacramento Kings to trade him before then. The Mavericks won’t have the assets to deal for Boogie if and when he becomes available, but they do have the ability to send not-so-subtle, but still indirect, messages his way.
And that’s exactly what they’re doing, according to ESPN.com’s Tim MacMahon:
The Mavs will keep swinging for the fences in free agency. One of their likely future targets put on a pretty good show for the supposed sellout crowd at the American Airlines Center, as Kings center DeMarcus Cousins produced a 24-point, 14-rebound, 7-assist, 3-block line against the Mavs’ backup big men.
There is reason to believe the Mavs might have a shot at Cousins when he hits the free agency market in the summer of 2018. He can talk all he wants about how much he loves Sacramento, but nobody outside of California’s capital city actually believes he wants to sign another contract with the Kings.
The Mavs made a pretty transparent attempt to butter up Boogie by bringing his younger brother, Jaleel, to training camp and signing him to the D-League Texas Legends. They also have a good relationship with Cousins’ agent, Dan Fegan, although that didn’t pay off when they recruited his previous clients Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan.
The Mavericks have long tried to secure a top-flight big man in free agency. They swung and missed on Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan and were one of the teams to meet with Hassan Whiteside this past summer.
Cousins would certainly turn the tide of a franchise that has been running a treadmill of mediocrity since its 2011 title. But the Mavericks are in a position to grab a top draft pick this summer and start planning for the post-Dirk Nowitzki more gradually. They don’t need to chase instaconention for Dirk’s sake. He is loyal to the franchise and will play in Dallas as long as he wants to continue setting foot on the hardwood.
This isn’t to say the Mavericks shouldn’t have Cousins on their mind. But that’s an issue for 2018. Right now, they need to sell off veteran aassets, such as Andrew Bogut and Wesley Matthews, who might return a pick and/or prospect, and lay a foundation for the future—something they have yet to really try doing.
