The Mavericks' lovely picnic around a timebomb centerpiece

The Kyrie Irving gambit could implode at any moment over the next three seasons. Until then, Dallas seems to be building a supporting cast in a smart way.

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

---

Orchard in Bloom, Louveciennes; Camille Pissarro; 1872

The Dallas Mavericks are doing things.

The Mavs had been reportedly chasing down restricted free agent Grant Williams, and they were able to land him before offer sheets could be officially signed. The deal sends Williams to Dallas on a reasonable value deal (four years, $53 million) with Reggie Bullock and an unprotected 2030 Dallas swap pick going to Spurs, and the Celtics and Mavericks each netting two second-round picks.

Williams’ average annual salary is about a third higher than Bullock’s, and extends for three extra years at a position of greater need for Dallas. Trading an unprotected pick swap seven years out is risky business, but the Mavericks’ mission is clear: win games now while you have an MVP-caliber Luka Doncic and some version of Kyrie Irving. This is tidy business to that effect. Williams is a plus defender and excellent shooter. That’s exactly the type of player you need around Luka and Kyrie. (That was, actually, the affirmative case for Bullock, whose shot came and went last season.)

As a follow-up to the Williams-Bullock swap, the Mavericks apparently have an agreement with Matisse Thybulle on a 3-year, $33 million offer sheet. No deal has been struck with the Blazers, so assuming Thybulle signs the offer on Thursday, Portland has until Friday to make a decision on whether to match. Again: this is a reasonable value contract for a potential starter whose limitations matter much less on a team with Luka and Kyrie and whose strengths (pestering perimeter defense at any position) are sorely needed in Dallas. Part of the reason Thybulle fell out of favor in Philadelphia was because the Sixers often needed more offense and shooting on the floor. Dallas should be OK, provided Kyrie is consistently available.

Before all this, the Mavericks added Seth Curry, Richaun Holmes, Dante Exum and a couple of first-round draft selections, neither of which many seem to expect to make an immediate NBA impact. Dallas is probably still hoping to pry a starting center from … somewhere. But were I the Mavericks, I’d feel really good about the work done. Every contract on the books except the one belonging to Kyrie and maybe the one attached to McGee is not just movable but attractive.

In other words, if all this doesn’t work to the degree Dallas needs it to work — with the goal of competing for championships — then to some extent the Mavericks can continue to pivot around and rework the roster.

That wasn’t a given after the tough Kristaps Porzingis concession trade followed by the desperate Kyrie trade. The Mavericks seemed to have painted themselves into increasingly desperate corners, giving up the flexibility and draft capital that would allow them to chase other stars. Pivoting to chasing “gettable” talent like Williams represents a mindset shift, and reflects confidence in the Luka-Kyrie pairing despite the early disastrous returns.

As I have put on the record, I would not be in the business of relying on Kyrie Irving at this point in his career. No need to belabor that. But the Mavericks are in on him, and so they need to accelerate the winning, and they met that goal with these moves.