Report: Mavericks interested in signing Marcin Gortat

The Dallas Mavericks sure aren't afraid of swinging for the fences in free agency.

According to a report from Tim MacMahon and Marc Stein of ESPN, the Mavericks are interested in signing Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat.

Gortat's name is the latest to emerge out of Dallas, who are also said to be pursuing New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Luol Deng and Los Angeles Lakers center Pau Gasol.

Based on the aforementioned players, it seems that Dallas is interested in filling two needs - at center, and on the wing. With roughly $30 million in cap room this offseason, they can presumably afford one or two of the four.

The Mavericks will face stiff competition from the Wizards, who are also interested in retaining the 29-year-old center. That makes sense, given how successful the team was with Gortat on the roster. 

Last season, Gortat averaged 13.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, good for a PER of 17.6. The highly versatile Polish big man is skilled in both the pick-and-roll and on post-ups. He's also an effective rim-protector, and is mobile enough to stretch out to guard the perimeter when needed.