Luka Doncic accelerated the Mavericks’ timeline. Here’s how it impacts their offseason strategy

Luka Doncic is too good. Signing Trey Burke instead of Cameron Payne, who had been playing for the Texas Legends, when the team entered the bubble in 2020 Trading Curry for Josh Richardson last November Signing Wes Iwundu and re-signing Burke, who is guaranteed nearly $7 million for the next two seasons Not bringing back J.J. Barea or Courtney Lee, two locker room positives who might have been more effective on the court too Drafting three rookies who had minimal impact in their first season Trading for J.J. Redick and Nicoló Melli, two players who made no postseason impact, at the expense of a second-round pick I typically value process over results, and the process behind every move listed here was both understandable and defensible when Dallas made it. Here is the breakdown on what a Luka Doncic extension would look like: 2022-23 | $34.7M 2023-24 | $37.5M 2024-25 | $40.3M 2025-26 | $43.1M 2026-27 | $45.9M This is based on a $115M cap in 2022-23 — Bobby Marks June 7, 2021 As the Mavericks consider the $30 or $40 million they could clear in cap space in just a couple of weeks when free agency begins, they will be viewing it within the context of three things: Doncic’s looming extension and the impact it will have on their cap sheet The extreme unlikelihood the team will be able to acquire star players through any means other than free agency, given their dearth of draft picks and relative lack of attractive prospects Porzingis’ own contract, which pays him about $101 million for three more seasons, and what his realistic trade value is The team could certainly re-sign Tim Hardaway Jr. for, let’s say, a four-year deal worth $80 million. If Dallas also re-signs Dorian Finney-Smith to a four-year, $60 million deal, guarantees Maxi Kleber’s $9 million for the 2022-23 season and still has Dwight Powell’s $11 million on the books, the Mavs will be pushing well past $120 million on their salary sheet next summer with seven or eight unfilled roster spots. They could still have $100 million in guaranteed money heading into the 2023 offseason, and while the salary cap is rising, it definitely won’t be anywhere high enough to provide them the $40 million of cap space they would need to meet with whichever stars are free: Nikola Jokic, or Bradley Beal, or Myles Turner, or even players like Caris LeVert or Jerami Grant should they prove themselves stars in a further manner in the coming seasons.