The Dallas Mavericks have had a productive offseason thus far — and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. With a retooled roster anchored by stars Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, Western Conference teams appear to be responding by shoring up their frontcourts.
Dallas landed Duke standout Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. They also added backcourt help by signing D’Angelo Russell to a two-year, $13 million deal on Monday, acquiring a short-term replacement for Irving, who isn’t expected to return until at least January as he recovers from a torn ACL.
According to Kevin Gray of AllDLLS.com, several Western Conference teams are now making size a priority to compete with the Mavericks’ formidable frontcourt, consisting of Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively, Daniel Gafford, P.J. Washington and Flagg.
The Houston Rockets, already featuring Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams, added Clint Capela on a three-year, $21.5 million deal. In a blockbuster trade, they also acquired 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets traded Dario Saric for Jonas Valanciunas on Tuesday, strengthening their frontcourt depth to complement three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Another leading team in the West, the Minnesota Timberwolves, opted for continuity by re-signing Naz Reid and Julius Randle to long-term contracts.
Even with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder remaining a top threat in the star-studded West, the conference appears to be shifting. Although Dallas missed the playoffs last season after trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers in a blockbuster package centered around Anthony Davis, their outlook for the future has rapidly improved.