The free agency period began back on Tuesday. Though the Dallas Mavericks haven’t technically signed any new players, they did pull the trigger on a pair of interesting trades.
The Mavericks acquired Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama and Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser, giving up a combined three draft picks and AJ Johnson. The compensation for the Sasser deal isn’t public yet, but Dallas might gain an asset for taking him into a trade exception.
With Aldama and Sasser joining the roster and Johnson on the way out, the franchise currently has 13 players under contract for the 2026-27 season. That number doesn’t include rookies Sergio De Larrea, Tobi Lawal, and Vsevolod Ishchenko, or Moussa Cisse, who received a qualifying offer from the Mavericks.
Dallas also has at least one free agent worth monitoring. After trading Anthony Davis for Khris Middleton, Marvin Bagley III, AJ Johnson, and picks in February, only one of those acquisitions has any chance of returning to the team next season.
Khris Middleton Hasn’t Ruled Out Return To Dallas Mavericks
Middleton’s three-year/$93 million extension expired following the end of Dallas’ season. At 34-years-old, the veteran can still be productive in spurts and even lifted the Mavs to some unneeded wins late.
With that being said, his next contract is expected to be much cheaper, and the Mavericks still haven’t used their MLE.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Middleton is still considering the Mavericks as one of his options.
“What I’ve heard on Middleton is that the Mavericks still factor into his thinking, while he’s obviously being pursued by contenders, that no final decision is made,” Stein said during an appearance on the DLLS Sports podcast. “I think the outcome there is still open. What I was told is a return has not yet been ruled out.”
At this time, the Miami Heat are probably the favorite to land Middleton. The Heat recently completed a blockbuster trade for Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Middleton and Antetokounmpo won an NBA Championship together in 2021 while playing for the Bucks.
The Heat do have multiple small forwards under contract, including Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic, both of whom are due north of $16 million.
Middleton won’t necessarily start for either team, but there’s still a role for him in Dallas.
The 6-foot-7 wing can still get a bucket. Middleton has averaged double figures in 13 of his 14 seasons at the professional level.
Middleton put up 10.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 21.1 minutes per game over 29 appearances with the Mavericks. He shot 39.1% from three-point range and 91% from the line.
Perhaps his steadiness and veteran presence would be useful for a young squad throughout a long season. He’s a three-time NBA All-Star with multiple deep playoff runs on his belt. That kind of experience can be beneficial in Dallas.
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