Dallas Mavericks free agency grade: Ding Yanyuhang signing

The Dallas Mavericks signed Chinese wing Ding Yanyuhang to a contract on July 23, and we evaluate that transaction.

The Dallas Mavericks made a surprise signing on July 23.  Ding Yanyuhang signed with the Mavs on Monday evening.  He played for Dallas in summer league 2017 and was a fan favorite on the squad.

Yanyuhang is a 24-year-old wing who has seven years of professional basketball experience in China.  He averaged 26.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals, 3.0 3-pointers made, and 2.4 turnovers per game in 37.6 minutes a night last season for Shandong.

Yanyuhang signing grade: I

The only fair grade is incomplete as of this writing because we have no idea what type of deal the Mavs inked him for next season.

If Yanyuhang is on a two-way deal or non-guaranteed contract (a training camp invite) then the signing grade is a B.  At 24, he likely still has room to improve and adds a needed wing to Dallas stable.

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If Yanyuhang signed to take the Mavericks final roster spot on a fully guaranteed deal for next season that is a mistake.  Plenty of veteran NBA talent is still available and could provide much more on a short-term deal than Yanyuhang.  The grade for that signing would be a D.

Time will tell where the marks end up, but it is likely a training camp invite deal for Ding Yanyuhang.  Remember, the Mavs play the Sixers in China twice this preseason, so inking a Chinese star boosts the team’s profile for those contests.

Final thoughts

The Dallas Mavericks signed 24 year old Ding Yanyuhang to a contract on July 23, but the details of the deal where non-existent.  Hopefully, the Mavs are just taking a training camp look at the player and have the ability to move unless he is impressing early on.

That leaves Dallas the opportunity to sign a veteran on a cheap short-term deal to round up their roster heading into this season.  Stay tuned for more details as they become available.

Next: 6 available free agents the Mavs should target

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