2. Dallas Mavericks
Those pesky, annoying Mavericks. Before last season started nobody would have put the Mavs above the Suns or any other team on this list in the West. Then they went and made the finals, and Luka Doncic took another step towards being one of the best to ever do it.
In a series between the Mavericks and Suns, Doncic is going to be the best player. That's significant, but just as important is the re-introduction of Kyrie Irving into this conversation. There was a time not so long ago when Beal would have been viewed as the better player and smarter investment.
Absolute Wizardry 👀 @KyrieIrving’s top plays of the season.#MFFL pic.twitter.com/NakEvkpmgP
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) July 26, 2024
But 2023-24 was a year in which Irving rehabbed his value, and was a driving force in that group making the finals. The Mavericks were also able to do something that has so far eluded the Suns' front office, and it is another key reason they are the better team right now.
Namely nail midseason trades on the fly, which is what they did in adding P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford to their rotation. Those two helped propel the organization to the heights they went on to reach, while Dereck Lively III was a prime example of nailing your lottery pick as well. If the Suns could do any of those things around their own stars, this would be a conversation. Right now, it isn't.