Mavs Exec Views Josh Green as 3rd-Most Important Player After Luka Dončić, Dinwiddie
Now into his third season in the NBA, Josh Green has yet to make a breakthrough since the Dallas Mavericks selected him in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft. But that doesn't mean he still isn't valued highly within the organization.
The Athletic's Tim Cato reported the Mavs "would be very hesitant to trade Green at this point" and that one member of the front office said the 22-year-old is "the team's third-most important player after [Luka] Dončić and [Spencer] Dinwiddie."
Green is nursing an elbow injury that has forced him to miss five games. Before going down, he showcased his clear potential to Dallas. Through 25 appearances, he's averaging 7.0 points and 1.2 assists while shooting 58.3 percent overall and 44.4 percent from three-point range.
Cato explained why his skill set is also something the Mavericks badly need.
"The best teams are filled with athletes like [Green], players you have to run off the line due to their three-point ability but who can do something once they're chased away from it," he wrote. "... Dallas just doesn't have enough players like Green to completely shift away from this 3-centric approach."
Upgrades to the supporting cast around Dončić are clearly required. Dallas is 15-15 and ninth in the Western Conference, and the backcourt still has a Jalen Brunson-shaped void after he signed with the New York Knicks.
A trade of some sort feels inevitable, but Green for all intents and purposes appears to be untouchable.
Luka Dončić Won't Play for Mavericks vs. Cavaliers Due to Quad Injury
Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Dončić is out for Saturday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers because of a right quad strain, the team announced.
In addition to Dončić, the Mavs (15-14) will be without Spencer Dinwiddie (knee), Josh Green (elbow), Dwight Powell (thigh) and Maxi Kleber (hamstring).
Dončić's absence will be felt the most against the Cavs (19-11), as he's the focal point of the offense and leads the team with averages of 33.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
The 23-year-old missed 17 contests in 2021-22 while dealing with injuries to his ankle. He also missed the first three games of the postseason after he suffered a calf strain in the last game of the regular season. The Mavericks went 10-10 last year when he was out of the lineup, including the playoffs.
One of the best players in the NBA, Dončić is coming off a stellar run while competing for Slovenia in the EuroBasket tournament last summer. He nearly set a EuroBasket record with 47 points in a win over France, the second-highest point total in the history of the European championships. He averaged 26.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists in seven games during the tournament.
While Dončić is out, the Mavericks offense will need multiple players to help replace his production. Power forward Christian Wood, who was acquired over the offseason in a trade with the Houston Rockets, will likely get more touches on the offensive end.
Luka Doncic's 'Usage Is Just Way Too High,' Says Mavericks HC Jason Kidd
Luka Doncic is carrying a Herculean load every night for the Dallas Mavericks, but coach Jason Kidd is worried about the long-term sustainability of his workload.
“For 82 games, it’s no way that he can play at this level, the usage is just way too high,” Kidd told Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill. “No one can. You know, the things that we ask him to do on the offensive end and then asked him to defend on the other end. It’s a lot.”
Doncic is leading the NBA at 33.4 points per game while also adding 8.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists per night. His usage rate is third in the NBA behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid, who have both been playing much of the season without their top costars (Khris Middleton and James Harden, respectively).
It's likely Antetokounmpo and Embiid will see their usage rates lower to more sustainable levels as the regular season progresses.
Doncic? He's playing with the roster he's got.
The Mavericks have done a largely dreadful job of surrounding Doncic with talent over the course of his career. Arguably the best teammate Doncic has played with has been Jalen Brunson, a non-All-Star point guard who Dallas allowed to walk this offseason because the front office botched contract extension negotiations.
Dallas is paying Tim Hardaway Jr. $19.6 million this season to shoot 36.3 percent from the floor. Hardaway is under contract through the 2024-25 season and is owed $34.1 million over the next two years.
Dāvis Bertāns is collecting $16 million this season and has played a grand total of 64 minutes. He's also under contract through 2024-25 and is owed $33 million for the next two seasons.
Reggie Bullock is shooting 29.9 percent and making $10 million. The Mavs will have to pay him $5.5 million next season to get him off the books.
This is a 25-win roster being propped into relevance by Doncic's brilliance. It's an abject failure of the front office, one that Kidd correctly notes leaves him unable to even allow his star a quick breather.
“We got to get them help and we got to look to see how we can do that,” Kidd told Yahoo Sports. “His minutes are extremely high. You try to hold him [on the bench] but a lot of times you gotta bring him back early just to get back in the game.”
Doncic has given no indication he's unhappy at this point, but it would be fair to wonder if Dallas will be the location of the next disgruntled NBA superstar looking to find a better situation.