The Dallas Mavericks had arguably the ugliest finish to the 2022-23 season.
After making a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets to acquire Kyrie Irving and pair him with star point guard Luka Doncic, the Mavs quickly crashed and burned down the stretch of the season, finishing with a 38-44 record and failing to make the playoffs. Dallas was 8-18 over its final 26 games.
However, it's time to turn the page to 2023-24. Irving is back after re-signing with the Mavs on a three-year deal. The team also added shooting by signing three-point specialist Seth Curry and trading for power forward Grant Williams. Dallas made two picks in the first round of the NBA draft, selecting promising center Dereck Lively II at No. 12 and two-way wing Olivier-Maxence Prosper at No. 24.
It will be up to head coach Jason Kidd to find the right formula that will help the Mavs bounce back from their dismal finish to last season. Dallas has a window of title contention as long as Doncic is on the roster, but another lost year could cause him to run out of patience.