Dallas Mavericks

How would the Mavs replace Monta Ellis?

Published Jun. 16, 2015 3:25 p.m. ET

foxsports

Once again, the Dallas Mavericks will enter the offseason with a lot of moving parts around Dirk Nowitzki.

Shooting guard Monta Ellis has a player option worth $8.7 million that he could choose to decline in order to land a more lucrative long-term deal, whether that be in Dallas or somewhere else.

Dallas will have to prepare for the scenario of Ellis becoming too expensive to keep around. What kind of player would they look for at shooting guard if Ellis opts out and leaves in free agency?

Here's Tim MacMahon at ESPN.com with more:

"The Mavs would likely try to take the 3-and-D route at shooting guard even if they aren’t successful in this summer’s attempt to finally hook a big fish in free agency. They don’t expect to be able to replace Ellis with a go-to guy as dynamic off the dribble as him.

But the Mavs believe they can get much more from small forward Chandler Parsons, their big catch from last summer, if he isn’t paired with Ellis. That’s because Ellis has to have the ball in his hands to be effective -- and the Mavs ran the lion’s share of plays for him -- preventing Parsons from doing what he does best. Parsons was one of the league's most efficient pick-and-roll ball handlers last season but got a small fraction of chances to initiate the offense compared to Ellis."

(h/t ESPN)

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