NFL
By: Greg Rector
NBA free agency always sees big names find new homes. There are three franchises however that really don’t have any big names sign with them. For the life of me, I can’t understand how free agents have avoided Dallas and Houston especially. The San Antonio Spurs are a different organization and have forever been developed through the draft and good trades. That’s despite San Antonio being one of the best cities in the country to live in designation year after year.
For Dallas and Houston though it just doesn’t make sense how despite rumor after rumor, neither team has fared well with free agency. The Mavericks have to be the franchise though that should attract free agents. Instead, they remain what they are, Luka Doncic and an assemblage of decent but not spectacular talent. Because of their record every season they generally don’t have lottery picks, so the draft is not helping them with a game-changer that could put them over the top.
No Income Tax
Like Florida, there is no state income tax in Texas. You would think in this era of player agents and players themselves who want to maximize every last penny they make in their playing careers that would help make the Texas franchises an attractive option. Now with Houston having another rebuild, I get why free agents aren’t knocking down the Rockets’ front office door right now. Again though it is mind-boggling that the Mavericks cannot attract at least one big-time free agent.
Reasons
Is the fact that Dallas is considered a football city and the Cowboys dominate the sports pages and the local/national TV coverage? I recall the Mavericks’ championship season in 2011, they sure garnered plenty of media attention. It can’t be because it’s a small market. The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is now the 4th largest metropolitan area in the country. Sure the winters can see cold snaps and some snow even but overall the weather is pretty decent as well. Not Miami or Los Angeles weather but certainly it’s not like being in Milwaukee, Detroit, or Minnesota for the winter months. Is it Mark Cuban? The Mavericks owner obviously has treated his players very well over the years. I don’t see how players around the league aren’t attracted by that factor either. Then add in the possibility of playing alongside a guy who is right there in MVP conversations in Doncic. You instantly would be paired up with someone who can distribute to you and improve your numbers. The guy is a basketball savant and has been since he was a teenager playing with men in Europe. It shouldn’t be Jason Kidd holding back players wanting to be in Dallas either. He’s a well-respected coach by his players’ own admissions.
Outlook
For the Mavericks it looks like the only way they can try to improve their roster at this point is via a trade/s. Will they make a move for Gary Trent Jr, or maybe a Luguentz Dort? It’s possible they do so at some point this season. We know a lot of the upcoming free agents in 2023 will re-sign with their current team and some will be moved at the trade deadline. The rumor mill though simply never has any of the best free agents coming to Dallas. It’s really a mystery to me as to why.
As always find me on Twitter @GregCowboys
