The Mavericks are hosting a free agent mini-camp this week that will have over 30 players in attendance, our JD Shaw reports (via Twitter).
The list of participants includes a handful with extensive NBA experience, including veteran guards Dion Waiters, Tyreke Evans, and Langston Galloway.
Jalen Lecque, Chris Clemons, Emanuel Terry, Grant Riller, Jay Huff, and Tyler Hall are among the other mini-camp invitees who have played in at least one regular season NBA game. A.J. Lawson, Andrew Andrews, Isaiah Brown, Justin Gorham, and Sekou Wiggs are some of the participants without NBA experience (Twitter links).
Teams are permitted to carry up to 20 players during the offseason, giving them some flexibility to take fliers on veterans or youngsters who could come to training camp on non-guaranteed contracts and compete for a 15-man roster spot.
It’s possible one or more of the players at Dallas’ mini-camp this week will make a strong enough impression to earn a camp invite. As Shaw notes, some of the mini-camp participants could also be invited to join the Mavericks’ Summer League team next month.
It’s worth noting that even after agreeing to trade four players for Christian Wood, the Mavs don’t project to have a ton of open 15-man roster spots for 2022/23. Dallas will have nine players on guaranteed salaries, plus Maxi Kleber and Frank Ntilikina on non-guaranteed contracts. Jalen Brunson and Theo Pinson are free agents, but the team reportedly wants to bring back both. If all of those players return, it would leave just two openings on the Mavs’ standard regular season roster.
If Tyreke can still shoot, hed be a decent pickup, did he get a 10 day last year?
He did not.
Hopefully, these are just summer camp signings that aren’t under consideration for a regular season roster spot. Brunson, Dragic and Pinson seem to be locks for 3 of the 4 remaining spots. Mavs also want a combo forward in the 3&D mold. Nic Batum would be ideal, but Mavs (or anyone) aren’t going to be able to match what the Clippers can offer. I’d like to see Taurean Prince come back to Texas, and enjoyed watching him play a lot of college ball at Baylor. He fits the system well and would fit that over-the-cap exception the Mavs will have.
Batum & Prince, good picks. Batum and LAC think they need each other but not so
Couple of Philly legends
I could see Tyreke Evans fitting in depending on what happens with Ntilikina, and after losing Sterling Brown, but I think they need more defense there
Waiters could make sense if they lose Brunson and move Hardaway jr. I was hoping Denver would have signed him when Jamal Murray got hurt but they brought in Austin Rivers for some reason instead, and then they also drafted Bones Hyland…
Waiters gets in the paint literally at will, and is adequate defensively, and can be a strong playmaker. 1 of the things he does that bothers me sometimes though is he doesnt look at the rim enough, especially when he gets into the paint, and can therefore telegraph passes. If Hardaway jr is back, I dont think Dallas makes sense for him. I think teams like Milwaukee (depending on what happens with their bench), Boston, Utah (if they move Clarkson), Detroit, Memphis, Clippers all make some sort of sense for a guard like him
Of the names they worked out, Lawson can give them some 3 and D wing help, or at least is someone worth looking at, Leque as a defender/playmaker at guard, although Galloway is obviously much better there, and Terry as an energy big could be interesting to look at…although obviously those are things to consider for the back part of a roster, kuch later down the line