The Dallas Mavericks didn’t get much movement from Bleacher Report after the Klay Thompson buyout. In Andy Bailey’s latest NBA power rankings, Dallas stayed put at No. 19, and the read on the team remains pretty clear: a play-in spot is on the table, while a playoff run still looks like a long shot.
Bailey’s outlook comes with a roster that now includes Kyrie Irving back from injury, Cooper Flagg after a Rookie of the Year season, and Dusty May in his first NBA head coaching job. He also pointed to Santi Aldama, Zaccharie Risacher, and Tarik Biberović as part of the picture.
Even with that group, Bailey didn’t exactly sell a surge. He wrote that the play-in "wouldn't be a shocking place to end up."
He added that if either of the two incoming first-round picks contributes right away, that could make the play-in the floor rather than the ceiling.
One of those newcomers is Morez Johnson Jr., who was selected ninth overall in June. Another is Sergio de Larrea, taken later in the first round, and he already turned heads in Las Vegas by averaging 8.8 assists and setting a Mavericks Summer League record with 14 against Oklahoma City on July 16. Dallas also added combo guard Marcus Sasser in a trade.
The Thompson move itself became official on Aug. 21.
He originally landed in Dallas via sign-and-trade from the Golden State Warriors in the summer of 2024, but the partnership ended with a buyout. According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, Thompson gave back about $9.8 million of the $17,460,317 he was due in the final season of the three-year, $50 million deal he signed in 2024.
After clearing waivers, he signed a two-year contract with the Miami Heat, with the second season carrying a player option. ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported that deal.
Thompson’s two seasons in Dallas produced 141 appearances and 80 starts. He averaged 12.9 points while shooting 40.3% from the field and 38.7% from three, and he knocked down 441 threes during that stretch.
In January, he moved past Damian Lillard into fourth place on the NBA’s all-time three-point list. Last season, mostly as a reserve, he put up 11.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.7 minutes per game over 69 games, with career lows of 39.3% shooting overall and 38.3% from deep.
ESPN’s Summer Forecast has Dallas 12th in the Western Conference at 32-50, just outside the play-in picture. That projection slots the Mavericks behind the Los Angeles Clippers at 33-49 and ahead of Memphis, New Orleans and Sacramento. Dallas finished last season 26-56.
In Other News...
Mavericks May Have Found The Perfect Reset For Zaccharie Risacher
Zaccharie Risachers second NBA season did not unfold anything like his first-round billing suggested, but Dallas may have given him the kind of reset that can change the direction of a career. After arriving as the 2024 drafts No. 1 pick, he saw his role and overall impact fade in Atlanta during his sophomore year, and now he lands with a Mavericks team that can afford patience while it tries to build something different.
For Dallas, the appeal is obvious: a low-risk swing on a player whose upside still matches his pedigree, but who needs a cleaner runway to rediscover it. In a rebuilding setting, Risacher has a chance to reset the narrative around his game and, if the fit clicks, put himself in the conversation for a breakout season and even a Most Improved Player push. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Rookie Has One Clear Path Through Dallas' Frontcourt Logjam
Morez Johnson Jr. arrives in Dallas with the kind of skill set that can at least cut through the clutter. The Mavericks 2026 first-round pick steps into a frontcourt that is already crowded, but his defensive versatility gives him a real case for minutes. Head coach Dusty May, who coached Johnson Jr. at Michigan, knows the rookie well and has pointed to the value of a big man who can switch across the floor and handle multiple assignments.
For a young player trying to carve out a role, that sort of trust matters, especially when the path to the rotation is anything but clear. Johnson Jr.s exact place in the lineup still depends on his development and whatever the roster looks like by the time the season settles in, but Dallas does not need him to be a finished product right away. It just needs him to keep giving the staff reasons to believe his defense can translate quickly enough to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Face A Daniel Gafford Decision They May Soon Regret
The Mavericks center situation has become one of the more delicate parts of their offseason, with Daniel Gafford sitting in the middle of it. Dallas has been weighing whether to keep him or explore trade options, but the question is bigger than Gafford alone. Behind Dereck Lively II, the depth chart is thin, and the rest of the options are far less proven, which makes every decision at the position carry extra weight.
Gaffords overall season was uneven, yet he also gave Dallas a reminder of what he can bring when he is playing well. That late stretch matters because the Mavericks are not just deciding whether to move him now, but whether they can afford to lose a steady presence at a spot where stability is already hard to find. Keeping him could help cover the uncertainty at center and perhaps even set up a stronger market later, but the longer this lingers, the more it feels like a move Dallas may wish it had handled differently. [Read more 🡒]