The Dallas Mavericks added Morez Johnson, Jr., Sergio DeLarrea, Tobi Lawal and Vsevolod Ischenko to their roster via the 2026 NBA Draft. With that behind them, the Mavs now need to reshape their roster in other ways, including determining which of their own free agents they wish to retain, and how much they are willing to spend on them.
Dallas has a pair in Marvin Bagley and Brandon Williams that are unrestricted free agents this offseason. The former was considered a throw-in on the Anthony Davis trade by some; not much more than an expiring contract that would give Dallas flexibility. The latter has been with Dallas for the past three seasons and has contributed well off the bench, with plenty of starting gigs thrown in.
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Preliminary reports are surfacing from Kevin Gray, Jr. that other teams have interest in both players. Candidly, the Bagley report is light on details, suggesting no specific teams, though indicating an expected salary range of the taxpayer mid-level exception (roughly $5.6M).
Williams on the other hand, expects to have interest from the Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors in addition to the Mavericks, with no real insight on a price tag.
“Free agents drawing interest from teams” is hardly news. Neither of these players are about to wash out of the league, so it is hardly surprising that both will garner interest. The real question is what the Mavericks want to do here.
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Picking up Johnson, Jr. in the draft may make it difficult to find a spot for Bagley, though some of the other front court veterans could be moved as the roster takes shape. In the case of Williams, does Dallas perhaps have an eye on retaining him to maintain their guard ranks? With Brayden Burries still on the board, Dallas opted instead for Johnson, Jr., so whereas Williams may not be the guard of the future, he is likely of relatively high interest to the Mavs as Kyrie Irving works his way back from injury.
Dallas would be wise to consider Bagley, especially if trade rumors surrounding Daniel Gafford are true. While not a true center, Bagley can certainly provide minutes at the position, and with Dereck Lively still an unknown quantity, another big body would be a boon to Dallas’ frontcourt. Bagley had himself a number of double-doubles on efficient shooting in his short time with the Mavs and showed he fit well alongside Cooper Flagg. His tenacity on the boards was something sorely lacking on the team prior to his arrival as well. Even with the potential redundancy caused by Johnson, Jr., Bagley could be a nice player to retain unless Dallas otherwise shores up their center rotation – especially at $5.6M; a relative steal.
Williams may be a player the Mavs are more willing to say goodbye to. Williams is not the guard solution for the future and they still have Ryan Nembhard under contract. For now, he will be behind Irving and splitting time with Nembhard, which may make him less of a factor overall, especially if Irving can spool up to meaningful minutes quickly. While Dallas does need to bolster its guard rotation, it seems more plausible they could do so with a replacement. It should be noted however, that Mavs’ GM Mike Schmitz was in Portland when Williams entered the league there, and that could impact the team’s motivation.
Free agency season is just days away, so it won’t be long until we see how things begin to shake out.
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