Some franchises haven’t had a good summer, unsuccessfully chasing after rookies or signing questionable players. According to an unnamed leader, one team in particular has been completely wallowing since early July…and it’s a squad with big ambitions.
When you think of the franchises that have negotiated their offseason quite badly, the Lakers of LeBron James come quickly to mind. Apart from the trade for Patrick Beverley, the Purples and Golds did not achieve much, proving unable to part ways with Russell Westbrook or attract another superstar. The few newcomers aren’t the most enticing…and yet league players don’t see them as the biggest fiasco of recent weeks.
As journalist Tim Bontemps revealed, ESPN conducted a survey of 15 coaches, scouts and league leaders to determine which team had the most disappointing summer. The result ? The Mavericks point well ahead of the verdicts, they who have just reached the conference finals. For some of the people who were interviewed, their recruitment does not make up for what is seen as their biggest summer loss:
Dallas slammed for disappointing recruiting
Western Conference executive says the Dallas Mavericks had the worst offseason in the NBA
“They lost [Jalen Brunson] for nothing, then turned around and gave JaVale [McGee] a lot of money and traded for Christian Wood.” https://t.co/ntoUc9VeNb
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) August 30, 2022
The clear “winner” was Dallas, which was heavily criticized for losing Jalen Brunson on a team that went to the Conference Finals in the West. “They lost him for nothing,” said one West executive, “and then they turned around and gave JaVale McGee a lot of money and set up a trade for Christian Wood. »
It’s a fact, the leader’s departure for Gotham is very damaging, because the triplet he formed with Luka Doncic and Spencer Dinwiddie was the spearhead of the team and he had also shone in the playoffs, against the Jazz in particular. On the other hand, to criticize arrivals in this way seems a little excessive: on the one hand, the amount allocated to the three-time champion McGee is very reasonable (17 million over three years), on the other hand, Dallas has not only lost a first-round pick and a few role pays for Wood. According to some fans, the truth is therefore much more nuanced:
We gave up literally nothing for Christian Wood. Losing Brunson for nothing was the only issue
— A. (@isoat936) August 30, 2022
We literally didn’t give up on Christian Wood. Losing Brunson without any compensation was the only black spot
Did the Mavericks deliver the worst offseason in the league? Opinions are divided, especially because of the departure of Jalen Brunson for the Knicks. Nevertheless, the Texans have managed to seriously strengthen their domestic sector, which is no small feat.