The Mavericks salary situation is complex. Here is where every dollar is committed and where there is room to improve.
The big contracts (source: Spotrac):
- Luka Doncic: $52.5M (supermax)
- Kyrie Irving: $41M (expected extension/option)
- Supporting cast: ~$80M across 8 players
Total committed salary: approximately $173M against a projected $147M cap.
The Mavs are operating as an over-the-cap team, which means they are limited to:
- The taxpayer mid-level exception (~$7.5M)
- Minimum contracts (~$2.1M)
- Trades using matching salary
Where the money works: Luka's supermax is necessary. You pay your franchise player. Kyrie's deal is also justified — his playoff performance in 2024 proved the pairing works. The issue is the supporting cast tier.
Where the money does not work: The Mavs have $28M tied up in two role players who posted PFF-equivalent grades below 60 (using RPM and RAPTOR). That money on league-average players limits the ability to add impactful rotation pieces.
Trade scenarios: The most realistic path to improvement is trading one of the overpaid role players and absorbing a slightly worse but cheaper contract plus a draft pick. Net talent change is minimal but the flexibility gained is significant.
The luxury tax reality: Dallas is projected to be $26M into the luxury tax. The tax bill at that level is approximately $65M. Owner Mark Cuban (now minority owner) and the new ownership group have indicated willingness to pay the tax for a contender. Source: Dallas Morning News reporting.
Sources:
- Spotrac — contract details for all players
- Basketball Reference — player efficiency stats
- Dallas Morning News — ownership tax willingness reporting
- CBA FAQ — luxury tax calculations