Mavericks 'moving forward' without DeAndre Jordan, but where will they end up?

The DeAndre Jordan debacle was nothing short of a joke, a big circus of propped chairs and transportation emojis for fans of 29 teams to enjoy.

But it was no laughing matter for Mavericks fans. Jordan's decision to renege was nothing short of a disaster. The Mavericks are spent, both in the present and for the immediate future.

Mark Cuban put on a brave face. Through gritted teeth, he trumpeted the additions of Zaza Pachulia and Wes Matthews, while reeling after being spurned by a marquee free agent for a fourth consecutive offseason.

Without Jordan, the Mavericks will indeed move forward, but it's unclear as to where they'll end up.

With Dirk Nowitzki on the last year of an incredibly team-friendly contract, Cuban will certainly be looking to contend. Cuban joked about tanking had they whiffed on Jordan and Matthews, but that option was never realistic given their commitments to Nowitzki.

If everything breaks right, there's a slight chance the Mavericks can make the playoffs next season. They sneaked into the postseason in each of the last two years with a roster centered around Nowitzki and Monta Ellis, but Ellis is gone and Nowitzki is in decline.

Still, Pachulia and Matthews should be a decent contributors next season. Matthews is coming off a ruptured Achilles, but if he returns to form, he gives the Mavericks a two-way shooting guard who can light it up from 3-point range. Pachulia is solidly unspectacular, but he was a solid defensive presence for the Milwaukee Bucks last season.

Throw in $15 million in cap room for signings or trades, along with some improvement from Chandler Parsons and a dash of Rick Carlisle's coaching magic, and there's hope for the Mavericks.

However, they are incredibly short on depth and they project to be a horrible defensive club. Nowitzki is a turnstile and his defensive replacement Al-Farouq Aminu signed with the Portland Trail Blazers. More importantly, defensive anchor Tyson Chandler left while the Mavericks were consumed by the chase for Jordan. The 20th ranked defense from a season ago just lost two of their best defenders.

But even if everything breaks right, the Mavericks will still top out as a first-round exit. That ceiling exists for next season and for the foreseeable future.

That's part of why Mavericks fans are so devastated by Jordan's decision. He was more than a dominant center to anchor their lineup. He was the bridge to lead Dallas's transition into the post-Nowitzki era. Jordan and Parsons - both 26 - were supposed to be the faces of the future.

Now the Mavericks are left in the lurch. Chandler can opt out next summer, Nowitzki is nearing the end and the Mavericks have no draft pick in the 2016 draft.

Begrudgingly, the Mavericks will move on without Jordan, but where will they go?