The Mavericks face a potential summer departure. Marvin Bagley III's unexpected resurgence could see him signing elsewhere, leaving Dallas to rebuild depth.
As the NBA season rolls toward the playoffs and teams begin eyeing the offseason, one compelling storyline isn’t just who the Mavericks will add — it’s who they might lose.
In a recent article by Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey, he lists the biggest 2026 free-agency flight risks around the league. For the Mavericks, their top risk next summer isn’t one of the household names on the roster but rather Marvin Bagley III — a player who has quietly become an unsung contributor.
"In a pretty wild turn of events, Marvin Bagley III, who's on his fifth team in eight seasons, is playing at a starter's level and is now outperforming the No. 1 pick from the year he went second," Bailey writes. "With the way he's played for the Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks, there's a good chance Bagley has played his way into another contract. And since the Mavs don't have his Bird rights, there's a better chance it'll be with someone else."
Bagley’s journey to Dallas this season didn’t come with fanfare or headlines. He was one of the players who was sent to the Mavericks as part of the trade that sent future Hall of Fame big man Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards. Bagley was one of many players involved in the deal, but he has outperformed his value.
What makes Bagley’s situation intriguing for Dallas fans is the financial and contractual context. The Mavericks don’t hold his Bird rights, which means they lack the cap levers that often allow teams to retain role players without using large exceptions. If Bagley continues to play at this level — and the rest of the league notices — he could very well earn a better offer from another team in free agency.
From a broader roster perspective, losing a player like Bagley wouldn’t be earth-shattering compared to losing a star, but it would sting in terms of depth and frontcourt balance. The Mavericks have already undergone significant change over the past year — including a blockbuster trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Lakers and shuffled core pieces around — and the current season has been defined by roster turnover and opportunity for role players.
So as Dallas looks ahead to next summer, Bagley’s name is one worth watching. In a league increasingly driven by analytics and efficient, versatile bigs, a strong season from him could lead to a payday elsewhere — leaving the Mavericks with decisions to make about how they build around their young core.