The Dallas Mavericks offseason was underwhelming. They had a lot of cap space but were not able to use it to bring in a true No. 2 to play next to Luka Doncic. However, they did overhaul the front office and bring in Jason Kidd to replace Rick Carlisle as coach (a move that may have been needed for personality reasons but is not seen as an upgrade around the league).
The one good move: Adding wing Reggie Bullock on a three-year, $30 million contract (he signed for the mid-level exception, but the third year of the contract is only partially guaranteed). He scored 10.9 points a game last season for the Knicks but more importantly shot 41% from 3 — the kind of shooter needed around Doncic.
At his introductory press conference, Bullock said it was playing against the Mavericks last season that made him want to come to Dallas. From the Mavericks’ official site.
“From when I played against the Mavericks last year, I liked the way that they competed as a team,” Bullock said. “They’ve got great players, so it was an easy no-brainer for me (to sign with the Mavs)…
“Being with the Knicks last year — we made it to the playoffs — but I see [Dallas] as a team that has taken that next step to be in the postseason,” Bullock said. “I felt like the skill set that I have was easy for me to be able to make this move to be able to come back down here and be around a great organization and a great city around great fans and just bring my game here.”
The 76ers, Lakers, and Celtics, among others, showed some interest in Bullock, but Dallas offered him the most money on the table and a defined role. He and also-added Sterling Brown bring the kind of 3&D play that Dallas lacked in its first-round playoff loss to the Clippers.
Is that enough in a West with LeBron in Los Angeles, plus Phoenix and Utah bringing back rosters that had a strong season (the Jazz stumbled in the postseason due to injuries)? Time will tell. Any team with Luka Doncic is a threat, but who is the secondary playmaker and No. 2 scoring option on this team? Kristaps Porzingis? (Don’t put much stock in the Goran Dragic trade rumors.)
That said, Bullock makes the Mavericks better. And he is where he wants to be.
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Bullock says playing against Mavericks made him want to play for them originally appeared on NBCSports.com