It's time for the Mavericks to tank

The day has finally come. It's time.

We've known the Dallas Mavericks' plan for the better part of two weeks. We know Dallas moved on from Chandler Parsons and made obtaining Hassan Whiteside and Mike Conley (and recently Nicolas Batum) its No. 1 priority. We know Dallas risked it all by letting Parsons test the free agency waters, knowing there was no turning back. We know the Mavericks were either going to strike gold or plunge into a never-ending abyss that could have repercussions that could hinder the immediate future of this proud franchise.

The Mavericks struck out. Again. For the fifth year in a row. This year might be the biggest fail of them all.

It's time to blow this thing up.

It's time for the Mavericks to understand they're not a destination for free agents. The writing has been on the wall since 2011. Letting Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler and others leave Dallas after winning the title was the end of it all. Dallas gambled on the likes of Deron Williams, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony, maybe LeBron James and, of course, DeAndre Jordan. The Mavericks lost every time, but greed is a powerful sin. In turn, it's time for the Mavericks to understand they don't understand basketball. The Dallas brass has had this holier-than-thou mentality since winning the championship, and this strong woman named Karma has come back to slap them in the face. Say what you will about Chandler Parsons not being worth a max contract. He wanted to be the face of the franchise and he wanted to stay.

The Mavericks actually had a guy who wanted to stay with them long term, but they turned around and said, "Hey, we'll take you back, but we're going to give you less money." How in the world is that good management? What part of this says what the Mavericks are doing is good team building? And how in the name of everything holy do the Mavericks expect to build a team if there's a continuous revolving door every two years?

It's also time for fans alike to stop thinking there's hope in free agency when the Mavs are called front runners for anybody, because that's clearly worked before.

It's time for the Mavericks to pay for every terrible roster move they've made since 2011, going beyond blowing up the title team. From trading for Lamar Odom for a first-round pick, to moving two valuable young players and draft picks to Boston for Rajon Rondo and Dwight Powell (who will more than likely leave this summer, as well -- he's a restricted free agent though), the Mavericks went for star power rather than actual fit and it cost them. It's time for the Mavericks to actually value the draft and start building from the ground up.

It's time for Mark Cuban and/or Donnie Nelson to hop on the phone and see if there's still trade interest for Wes Matthews. He didn't come to Dallas to be part of a reclamation project, and this is what it's becoming. His contract may be unmovable, but if Cuban was true in March saying teams were interested in Matthews, this is the time to do it. Get any reasonable value you can, get some draft picks and move on. Wes doesn't deserve to collect a payday on a terrible team. He deserves to be on a team that has an actual chance to win a championship. Treat the man who led the team in minutes played, one season off an Achilles rupture, with some actual respect.

It's time to check on Rick Carlisle and see if he really wants to stick around until 2022. The Mavericks couldn't afford to lose Carlisle before, and now there may not be a reason for him to stick around. He deserves to coach a winner, and the number of different players he's coached since 2011 is absurd. It's not his fault he's had to deal with a new roster year after year, and the fact he's made the playoffs all but once since winning the title is a damn miracle. He deserves way better than this.

And finally ... it's time to let Dirk Nowitzki go.

I can't believe I just typed those words, but it's time to let Dirk chase another ring elsewhere. If he signs a new deal with Dallas, he deserves a statue long before he retires. He doesn't deserve to play on whatever the hell you call this team. He's given the Mavericks so many chances. He's sacrificed so much to this organization, and he's given them chances to win for 18 years. He even took a damn discount so the Mavericks could get Parsons, and now Parsons is on his way to Memphis because the Mavericks don't view him as someone worthy of a max contract.

The theory I'm rolling with is Dirk wanted to sit back and watch the Mavericks try and do things themselves. There's no way in hell he's playing on this team after losing out on the two guys they really wanted. It's not fair to Dirk for him to compete for a 6-8 seed in the final years of his career. Cuban failed, and the least he can do is let Dirk look elsewhere.

The Mavericks have been nothing but consistent since 2000. This era is over. The time to rebuild is now. The Mavericks have nothing left they can do, except throw as much money as they can to Dwight Howard (which Dallas refuses to do, so there you have it) and maybe Dwyane Wade and try to salvage what's left of this sinking ship. Dallas has been a constant model of success, but for the last five years, the Mavericks have been consistent at failing on a massive level.

It's time for the Mavericks to accept the fact that they've failed, and it's time for them to pay the price. Bring out the tank.