9 players the Mavericks could take on with cap space

With Deron Williams seemingly on the verge of joining Dirk Nowitzki, Chandler Parsons, and Wesley Matthews, the Mavericks are left with an estimated $6 to 7 million in cap space, or possibly more if they elect to dump or stretch Raymond Felton. With the free agent market drying up, it may be best the team looks to bring in another player with a trade, as they did with Zaza Pachulia.

Here's a list of players who could be potential salary dumps. That's not to say all of them are on the market, since we don't know how each front office have any interest in dumping them for little to nothing in return, but each situation seems similar to the Pachulia trade executed just days ago. Salary dumps happen and one of the following players might be a plausible fit to come to Dallas on the cheap.

As soon as Williams signs, assuming he finally does, the Mavericks will have two roster spots left and one gaping hole at backup center.

1. J.J. Hickson

In the final year of his deal and still only 26 years old, Hickson could be seen as a useful piece off the bench. He won't block many shots and isn't the best of defenders, but he will crash the boards and score inside.

Kenneth Faried and Jusuf Nurkic are starting for the Nuggets, and they recently signed young big man Nikola Jokic, so moving Hickson shouldn't be out of the question.

2. C.J. Miles

The Indiana Pacers have George Hill, Monta Ellis, Paul George, Rodney Stuckey, and Chase Budinger at the guard and wing spots, so Miles can find his way out of the rotation. The Mavs need to add depth at the wing behind Matthews and Parsons, so Miles, who is a Dallas native, could be a useful piece. With three years left on his deal, the Pacers could move him for close to nothing.

3. Kevin Martin

Martin would instantly become the Mavs' sixth man if the team could get their hands on him. It's not yet known if the young Wolves are looking to move Martin and the final two years of his deal, but if so, and the asking price is low, the Mavs probably can't do better than Martin and his shooting and scoring touch. He'd be a great fill in while Matthews returns to full health, too.

4. Josh McRoberts

Coming off of a season ending knee injury and with three years left on his deal, McRoberts may be the odd man out of the Heat's loaded frontcourt. With the Mavs lacking playmakers and a reliable backup to Dirk, McBob can quickly fill both those needs, while also spreading the court at the power forward spot.

Chris Anderson, Mario Chalmers (although it's not like the Mavs need another point guard) and Udonis Haslem could also fit within the Mavs space.

5. Vince Carter

The one time Mavs hero found himself hobbled and ineffective for a good part of last season with the Grizzlies. We shouldn't expect the same VC from two or three years ago, but his shooting and spot playmaking could be useful, especially considering the current depth on the wings.

6. Carl Landry or Jason Thompson

Both were recently acquired by the Sixers from the Kings. It's unaware of what the rebuilding team will want to do with both vets, but if available, the Mavs could take on the remaining two years of one of them to add depth to the frontcourt.

7. Anthony Bennett

It's been rumored that the former number one pick is on the block. Bennett hasn't shown much during his first two season in the league, but Rick Carlisle has a great history of turning duds into studs. Bennett could be a great project for the coach and team.

8. Evan Turner

Not a favorite of many but can fill the stat sheet (though not efficiently). Turner could be a low risk gamble for the Mavs. Best with the ball, Turner could share duties with Williams, Parsons, and Devin Harris as a key playmaker. For what it's worth, his career stats indicate he isn't a terrible defender.

9. Perry Jones III

Easily the odd man out of OKC, Jones could be an easy steal after the team maxed out Enes Kanter. Jones, like Bennett, could be worth the risk in the hope he flourishes under Carlisle. He's shown flashes of his potential, but nothing consistent or fluent to increase his value on the market.

Update: Perry Jones was traded to the Celtics shortly after this post went up.

Steve Novak could be another easy target from OKC in a salary dump trade, although he'd be highly extraneous with Charlie Villanueva.

The rest

A few other players the Mavs can fit within the cap are: Troy Daniels (Hornets), DeJuan Blair and Martel Webster (Wizards), James Johnson (Raptors), Mike Scott and Kent Bazemore (Hawks), and O.J. Mayo (Bucks).

In all likelihood, more of these names are unavailable than not, but hopefully this look into the salary dump world gets you thinking about outside the box solutions. At this point, the Mavericks are one of the few teams looking to get better who could take on players up to the $6 million range or so.