With Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving intending to opt out of his $44 million player option for 2025-26 and sign a three-year, $119 million contract, the Mavs “are expected to open up the $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception,” according to ESPN insider Shams Charania. “Potential targets for that salary slot would have included Dennis Schroder, D’Angelo Russell, Chris Paul and Malcolm Brogdon,” he adds. Notably, Dallas’s primary offseason trade targets are also thought to be known.
Given this wealth of intelligence, what route would be best for the Mavericks?
Best Point Guard Target For Mavs With $5.7 Million MLE
Do They Really Have Enough?
Dennis Schroder
If the Mavericks were to sign Dennis Schroder, he’d be a strong addition.
Schroder capable of scoring at an above-average rate, his command and confidence are useful on the floor and in the locker room. He’s able to play either spot in the backcourt. He’s also thrived as both a starter and sixth man, which should matter to Dallas. Not only can Schroder stabilize the point guard position while Irving works his way back into form, but he can absorb some of the 35-year-old Klay Thompson‘s minutes.
The Kings are already being painted as a likely leading suitor for Dennis Schröder when free agency begins, @TheSteinLine has learned.
MUCH more on the Kings and MANY trade, free agency and draft matters in this new piece co-scribed with @JakeLFischer: https://t.co/niZqzRShhZ pic.twitter.com/XWls8MSNtK
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 25, 2025
To be honest though, Schroder has played well enough over the past year to believe he’ll receive better offers than what Dallas can give him. The Sacramento Kings, who The Stein Line insider Marc Stein names as a team to watch, can offer Schroder the $14.1 million non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception. The Detroit Pistons, who traded for Schroder last season, have his Early Bird Rights. This allows them to pay him up to about $23 million, 175 percent of his 2024-25 salary.
Chris Paul
A similar case could apply to Chris Paul, whose passing prowess would provide a boost even if Irving was healthy.
His 2024-25 campaign was commendable. If it turns out to be his penultimate season, he’ll have helped San Antonio Spurs lighthouse Victor Wembanyama take strides in his game just by being himself. Not only is he a mentor for many around the league, the Spurs simply needed a point guard that could get and find Wembanyama in the best positions.
Obviously, he’s already 40 years old and retirement is on the horizon. All of that aside, after signing a $10.5 million contract with San Antonio last season, he’s unlikely to want to cut his pay in half. On the one hand, he won’t have to move too far if he signs with Dallas, which could appeal to him due to his age and lifestyle. Still, making half of his previous season’s salary after playing better than he did the prior season may not sit right with him.
With that in mind, there are 17 teams that could sign a player using the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception this offseason, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks. A couple of those teams are even playoff contenders. The Los Angeles Clippers, whom Paul starred for during his prime, are one. The Milwaukee Bucks, who lost Damian Lillard to a torn Achilles early in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, are another.
There’s A Reason They’re Affordable
This could leave the Mavericks choosing Malcolm Brogdon. Both he and D’Angelo Russell are coming off of forgettable seasons. However, their intangibles are vastly different.
D’Angelo Russell
Though often affable, Russell is a lightning-rod for controversy and negativity. That being said, Dallas has been rocked by controversy. So much so that it’s hard to imagine he’s much more than a fall-back option. The fact that he tends to disappear in the playoffs is even more problematic than that.
Ultimately, Russell is a very skilled combo guard. He wasn’t a second overall pick and hasn’t started in 567 games for no reason. Furthermore, he’s the type of player who might sign a $5.7 million contract in order to help boost his value for a future free agency. Yet, signing him might be too risky.
Malcolm Brogdon
Meanwhile, Brogdon is revered as a leader in the locker room and the community. He won’t cause any distractions or headaches with his behavior. The maturity he provides will lend itself the type of environment that Dallas needs.
In terms of what he provides on the court, he’s a shifty scorer, efficient three-point threat, smart playmaker and a physically strong defender at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds. Indeed, he’s only two years removed from being named the Sixth Man of the Year. It’s arguably even more impressive that he accomplished this while playing for a title-contender in the Boston Celtics.
His biggest problem is that his health is a huge variable. He’s played more than 60 games just once in the past five seasons.
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