Dallas Mavericks: Kyle Collinsworth Deserves a Full Contract

The Dallas Mavericks and former BYU guard, Kyle Collinsworth, are currently in the middle of their 2nd and final 10-day contract. However, Dallas will have the opportunity to sign Collinsworth for the remainder of the season, which I believe they should.

Sometimes, it is hard to understand just exactly what the Dallas Mavericks are doing. At the beginning of the season, Dallas had Jonathan Motley and Gian Clavell as the two-way contract players. Jeff Withey was still a Maverick and Nerlens Noel was still a healthy DNP, instead of an injured one.

As time went on, the Mavs parted ways with Gian Clavell, they brought Antonius Cleveland in for a two-way contract before taking it back and giving it to Kyle Collinsworth. Collinsworth got his time as a two-way contract player, but then lost that contract to the incoming Jalen Jones.

However, shortly after taking Jones in as the second two-way contract player, the Mavs re-signed Collinsworth to a 10-day deal. He didn’t get much run in the first 10 days, but when Devin Harris went down with an injury, Dallas decided to keep the young guard for another 10 days. This time around, Coach Carlisle decided to utilize him in non-garbage minutes.

This has led us to getting a good look at what Kyle Collinsworth is capable of. Although he hasn’t even scratched the surface of what he is actually capable of, the truth is that he looks and acts like an NBA player. And I believe that is exactly where he belongs.

Collinsworth has done his time in the G-League. He and Motley have both been dominant in their time with the Texas Legends and have gotten praise from many Mavs fans who have seen what they can do.

So what are the Mavs going to do when this 10-day contract is up? My hopes are that they bring him back to finish up the season as a Maverick. It may not make a lot of sense on paper to add another guard, but Collinsworth will help the team in a lot of ways.

For one, Collinsworth is an above average defender. When you combine his athleticism with his energy level, you are generally going to get a solid defender. Add that to the fact that he is trying to prove his spot in the NBA, and Collinsworth becomes a defender with lockdown potential. We have seen this already in his limited time with Dallas.

His offensive game is improving. When he first entered the NBA, there were very few giving him much chance at success because his shooting needed some serious work. He has done the work now, and his shot looks good in the limited action we have seen.

His intangibles are outstanding. The attention to detail, his passing, his rebounding, and his quick hands and positioning all make him a player that most teams would be happy to have in their organization. The only thing left for him is experience.

Lastly, his attitude is hard to beat. There are very few NBA players that can keep a cool head and not let emotions take over when the game gets going, but seeing Collinsworth out there it is clear that he knows how to keep his emotions in check. Plus he seems like just a genuinely upbeat guy which is a great thing as well.

I hope that Dallas gives him a chance to get acclimated to the NBA game. He could be a great role player in the future as he finds his spot in the league. He has a desire to win and be successful and it shows in his performance. He deserves a roster spot, and I believe that the Mavs should be the ones to give it to him.

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Kyle Collinsworth is making the necessary steps to becoming a great NBA player and it is only a matter of time before someone gives him a real chance. We look forward to seeing what the tenacious guard can do in the years to come.