An often discussed topic in basketball circles is the construction of the Dallas Mavericks ever since Luka Dončić burst onto the scene immediately upon stepping on an NBA court.

Most of this discourse has been centered around the Mavericks’ inability to surround their Slovenian superstar with adequate help, both offensively and in the grittier areas of basketball.

Several of Dončić’s early playoff series involved supernatural scoring performances only to be let down by the lackluster supporting cast on their way to premature postseason exits.

Dončić certainly isn’t without his own shortcomings in terms of effort, defense, and his questionable style of play, but the poor rosters built around him have been the main reason Dallas has fallen short.

Dallas began to reverse this trend in February 2023, when they sent away two veteran stalwarts in Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith to acquire Brooklyn Nets’ star Kyrie Irving.

This move worked out extremely poorly because of the thin roster surrounding the two superstars, leading to the Mavericks shockingly missing the playoffs.

The narratives swirling around the trade were harsh, as Dallas looked very unprepared to build a winner around their two stars, creating the buzz that Dončić would eventually leave the franchise.

However, the Mavericks quietly went to work in the off-season to improve around the margins by making several underrated acquisitions that have completely transformed the identity of the team.