Hoops Rumors is checking in on the 2026 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, recapping the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll take a look at each team’s offseason moves and consider what might still be coming before the regular season begins. Today, we’re focusing on the Dallas Mavericks.
Free agent signings
Moussa Cisse: Two years, minimum salary. First year partially guaranteed ($1,092,558). Second-year non-guaranteed. Matched Knicks’ offer sheet using minimum salary exception.
Trades
Acquired the draft rights to Sergio de Larrea (No. 25 pick) from the Lakers in a four-team trade in exchange for the draft rights to Koa Peat (No. 30 pick; to Suns), the Sixers’ 2030 second-round pick (to Knicks), and the Mavericks’ 2032 second-round pick (to Knicks), and the draft rights to Melvin Ajinca (to Knicks).
Acquired the draft rights to Vsevolod Ishchenko (No. 56 pick) from the Lakers in exchange for cash ($1.7MM).
Acquired Santi Aldama and the draft rights to Tarik Biberovic from the Grizzlies and Marcus Sasser from the Pistons in a six-team trade in exchange for Khris Middleton (sign-and-trade; to Wizards), AJ Johnson (to Grizzlies), the Warriors’ 2030 first-round pick (top-20 protected; to Grizzlies), the Rockets’ 2029 second-round pick (to Grizzlies), and the Mavericks’ 2033 second-round pick (to Wizards).
Acquired Zaccharie Risacher and the Hawks’ 2027 second-round pick (top-55 protected) from the Hawks in a three-team trade in exchange for Ryan Nembhard (to Hawks) and the Bulls’ 2027 second-round pick (to Thunder).
Draft picks
1-9: Morez Johnson Jr.
Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $30,745,155). First two years guaranteed. Third- and fourth-year team options.
1-25: Sergio de Larrea
Signed to rookie scale contract (four years, $16,329,525). First two years guaranteed. Third- and fourth-year team options.
2-48: Tobi Lawal
Signed to two-way contract.
2-56: Vsevolod Ishchenko
Two-way signings
One year, $91,000 partial guarantee (will increase to $339,441 at start of regular season).
One year, $91,000 partial guarantee.
Note: The Mavericks carried over John Poulakidas on a two-way contract from 2025/26.
Departed/unsigned free agents
Other roster moves
Signed Naji Marshall to a three-year, $52,200,000 veteran contract extension that begins in 2027/28. Fully guaranteed.
Signed 2023 second-round pick Tarik Biberovic to a two-year, $6,000,000 contract using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Second-year team option.
Bought out Klay Thompson (gave up $9,800,000 of $17,460,317 salary).
Waived Tyler Smith (two-way contract).
Salary cap situation
Note: Figures are rounded to one decimal place.
Operating over the cap ($165MM) and below the first tax apron ($209MM).
Hard-capped at first apron.
Team salary: $188.3MM (tax); $189.7MM (apron).
Below luxury tax line by $12.1MM; below hard cap by $19.3MM.
Partial non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12MM) and partial bi-annual exception ($278K) available.
Three traded player exceptions available (largest worth $7MM).
The offseason so far
It’s been a busy offseason in Dallas, where the Mavericks have overhauled both their front office and coaching staff and have made several changes to a roster that finished last season with a disappointing 26-56 record.
The only high-ranking holdover in the new-look front office is reportedly former star wing Michael Finley, who spent the 2025/26 campaign acting as a co-interim general manager following the November dismissal of Nico Harrison.
The Mavs’ new president and alternate governor, Masai Ujiri, quickly tabbed Mike Schmitz to be his new GM and has continued to fill in the front office over the past few months. The organization also parted ways with former head coach Jason Kidd, having replaced him with ex-FAU and University of Michigan head coach Dusty May, who led the Wolverines to a national championship in 2025/26.
Dallas landed the ninth overall pick in the draft lottery and used the selection on forward/center Morez Johnson Jr., who spent his sophomore season with May at Michigan. Interestingly, the team drafted Johnson over his college teammates Yaxel Lendeborg (No. 11) and Aday Mara (No. 12), who were both late lottery picks as well.
The Mavs also controlled the final pick of the first round entering June 23, but they didn’t stay at No. 30, instead packaging that selection along with two future second-rounders (and the draft rights to Melvin Ajinca) in order to move up five slots and add Spanish guard Sergio De Larrea.
Two more players were acquired in the 2026 second round, with Dallas taking high-flying forward Tobi Lawal at No. 48 and trading $1.7MM in cash to secure the rights to wing Vsevolod Ishchenko (No. 56). While Lawal quickly signed a two-way contract with the Mavericks, Ishchenko remains unsigned after spending last season in his native Russia.
The team’s offseason activity didn’t stop after the draft ended. In a complex six-team mega-deal, the Mavericks acquired forward Santi Aldama and the draft rights to Tarik Biberovic from the Grizzlies and Marcus Sasser from the Pistons in exchange for a heavily protected first-round pick and two second-round picks. Veteran forward Khris Middleton was signed and traded to Washington as part of that transaction, with AJ Johnson sent to Memphis (he has since been traded to New Orleans).
Aldama, who underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee in March, missed Spain’s World Cup qualifying games last month due to the injury. However, he’s expected to be ready to go when training camp gets underway in a few weeks.
Former Fenerbahce sharpshooter Biberovic wasn’t just a throw-in in that trade, as Dallas signed him to a two-year, $6MM contract using a small portion of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception. The second year of the 2023 second-round pick’s contract is a team option.
The Mavericks made a few other noteworthy roster moves this summer. They signed forward Naji Marshall to a three-year, $52.2MM contract extension that begins in 2027/28; agreed to a buyout with Klay Thompson, who gave up $9.8MM of his $17.46MM salary; acquired Zaccharie Risacher in a three-team trade in which they sent Ryan Nembhard to Atlanta and a second-round pick to Oklahoma City; and matched a two-year, minimum-salary offer sheet that restricted free agent center Moussa Cisse had signed with New York.
In addition to parting ways with Middleton, Nembhard, Johnson and Thompson, the Mavericks also let Marvin Bagley III (Denver) and Brandon Williams (Golden State) walk in free agency. Longtime center Dwight Powell remains on the open market after spending most of the past 12 years in Dallas.
Adding shooting and complementary play-making around Cooper Flagg was a high priority for the Mavs this summer. They’ll be hoping for better health luck in 2026/27 and are looking forward to the returns of star guard Kyrie Irving and talented young center Dereck Lively II.
Up next
The Mavs became hard-capped at the first tax apron as part of the Aldama/Biberovic/Sasser trade and are currently $19.3MM below that threshold. They’re also $12.1MM below the luxury tax line and still have $12MM remaining on their non-taxpayer MLE.
Thompson giving back so much of his salary created much more financial flexibility for the Mavs, who were also facing a minor roster crunch before he was waived. Now they’re at the regular season limit of 15 players on standard contracts, with Cisse’s deal still partially guaranteed until October 1.
The Mavs’ two-way spots are currently occupied by Lawal, former lottery pick Jett Howard, and John Poulakidas, who was carried over from last year. Those three players appear to be decent bets to make the opening night roster, but it’s worth noting that two-way deals are non-guaranteed, so they could make changes in the event of injuries or other unforeseen circumstances.
Lively’s camp has reportedly talked to Dallas about a potential rookie scale extension ahead of the Oct. 19 deadline, and Sasser is up for a rookie scale extension too. I’d be surprised if Sasser is extended, given his modest contributions to this point in his career, and I don’t have a great sense of how the new front office views Lively, who has shown promise when healthy but has been limited to just 98 regular season outings through three years in the league.
Max Christie, who had a modest breakout season in 2025/26, is another extension candidate. He could hit free agency next year if he declines his $8.86MM player option for ’27/28.
Irving, 34, has drawn rave reviews from his teammates for how he’s looked in his return from a torn ACL, which caused him to miss all of last season. Although Irving’s name has popped up in some trade speculation this offseason, my current read is that’s more wishful thinking on the part of opposing teams, though it’s worth noting that he’s not exactly on the same timeline as Flagg, who doesn’t turn 20 until December.
Center Daniel Gafford has reportedly been on the trade block this summer and that could continue into the season. Still, he’s under contract for three more seasons at a reasonable number, so it’s not as if the team urgently needs to make a call there.
Finally, Dallas has until Nov. 2 to decide whether or not to exercise Risacher’s $17.43MM option for 2027/28. I’m expecting the team to pick it up, but it’s not necessarily a lock.
Luke Adams contributed to this article.