DECEMBER 1: The Mavericks have made it official, formally announcing that they’ve re-signed Cauley-Stein.
NOVEMBER 22: The Mavericks have agreed to bring back veteran center Willie Cauley-Stein, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Cauley-Stein will sign a two-year contract worth $8.2MM. This signing would most likely be achieved via Dallas’s mid-level exception.
Charania adds (via Twitter) that there will be a second-year team option on Cauley-Stein’s contract, and notes that Dallas pivoted to a new deal with the big man after falling out of the mix for Marc Gasol.
Sources tell Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) that the Mavericks are “most likely done” with their offseason dealmaking, but caution that “in this crazy environment you never know.” The club’s biggest new offseason addition is swingman Josh Richardson, brought in via a trade with the Sixers for Seth Curry that also yielded the rights to rookie guard Tyler Bey.
Cauley-Stein, 27, played 13 games for the Mavericks last season, averaging 5.2 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 0.8 BPG in 12.1 MPG. Dallas traded for the 7′ center after starter Dwight Powell went down with an Achilles tear in January. Power forward/centers Kristaps Porzingis and Maxi Kleber will be ahead of Cauley-Stein in the center rotation.
Luke Adams contributed to this report. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Well if that’s the deal ther
Salary seems a bit high. Backup centers seem to be getting a bit more $.
Never lived to his potential
I don’t know. Compared to his peers in that draft top 10, he has had a better career than most of them. The 2015 draft is pretty much becoming KAT and the rest, at least the top 10 anyway. Even the ones that succeeded have issues. Porzingis is good, but is hurt all the time. Russell is on his 4th team now. He is good, but how good are you if 3 teams traded you within 4 years? The rest of that top 10 is pretty much just journeymen. Honestly, the entire rest of the draft is pretty meh other than Devin Booker.
It was a remarkably meh draft, but that doesn’t get WCS off the hook.
I watched him at UK for 3 years. I was SHOCKED that he was drafted #6 overall. I figured he would be the 4th Cat drafted that year after KAT, Booker, and Lyles. Most mocks at the time had WCS in the mid first. He has a pretty good resume for a mid first round pick. 20 career win shares so far is not bad for a guy in that range. He shouldn’t necessarily be punished because Sacramento reached and picked him higher than expected.