The Dallas Mavericks are one of the many teams that are meeting with just about every marquee free agent available. They have cleared cap space and have more coming in a season which means they are available for some moves. While they are very interested in both Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James, every other team in the league is as well. So who are the Mavericks targeting as backup plans?
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Mavericks first priority is Anthony. After making a trade to bring back Tyson Chandler, they believe they stand a good shot at also getting the New York Knicks guard. However, if that pursuit fails, Chandler Parsons is the favorite to take his spot. Currently a restricted free agent with the Houston Rockets, Dallas plan on being very aggressive in looking at Parsons if in the next few days they few days they feel Anthony is not signing to them.
The signing of Parsons will not be easy. The Houston Rockets have no plans on letting him go without a fight. Another team heavily interested in Anthony, if the guard does not sign with them, Parsons is likely not going anywhere. According to the Houston Chronicle, the Rockets will match any offer that comes in for Parsons if they have no other options at his position. The Rockets might match his offer sheet no matter what if it is not too outrageous for their salary cap.
Another option for Dallas is Luol Deng. Dallas' interest in Deng comes regardless of what Anthony or James do. Wojnarowski reports that Dallas was the first to make a call to Deng's agency, favoring his versatility to pair with Dirk Nowitzki. There is some concern that Deng is worn down. Over the past few years he has played a significant amount of minutes and some believe Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau overused him. He certainly struggled in Cleveland, but that was also due to a lack of supporting cast. Deng would be a solid addition to Dallas as he could defend the wing and knock down outside shots.
The Mavericks have an owner not afraid to spend money which means they could be players for multiple stars this offseason. No decisions will be made until they are certain they either have or do not have Anthony.