Dallas Mavericks: Why Moses Brown is such an intriguing prospect

The Dallas Mavericks acquired Moses Brown from the Boston Celtics in the Josh Richardson trade. The 21-year-old center is set to make $1.7 million this season. He’s also 7’2 and posted a 20-point-20-rebound game for the Thunder last year.

The former UCLA Bruin went undrafted before becoming a standout in the G League with the Texas Legends. From there, he signed a two-way contract with the Thunder where he spent another 14 games on the Oklahoma City Blue before being called up to the main roster. Over the next 43 games, he caught the attention of much of the league.

For the season, Brown averaged 8.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in about 21 minutes per contest. While those numbers are intriguing by themselves, they fail to capture the promise of what Brown might become with a little more polishing to his game.

Why Dallas Mavericks big man Moses Brown is an intriguing prospect

In addition to a ridiculously long frame, Brown runs the floor well, often converting blocks on one end to transition dunks the other way. Gifted with a 9’2.5 standing reach, Brown can swallow up shot attempts around the basket, and his athleticism lends itself to defensive disruptions that create broken plays.

For him to take that next step and become a regular starter, he’s going to need to improve his focus and overall basketball IQ. Whether it was at UCLA or with the Thunder, Brown tended to get lost on the defensive end at times, and could outright disappear on the floor. Despite his 245-pound stature, the 21-year-old could stand to fill out a little bit and play with more physically.

Moses Brown is a project but likely not a star for Dallas Mavericks

Brown won’t wow anybody with his outside game or shooting form, nor will his 37.5 percent free throw percentage allow Mavs fans to breathe a sigh of relief whenever he steps to the line. A young big man making less than $2 million next season that is capable of wrecking games with his defensive presence around the rim is certainly a project worth investing in.

Of Brown, former teammate Al Horford said this at his introductory press conference with Boston back in June, courtesy of Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston.

"“As far as Moses, man, he’s a great kid. Guys are going to love him in the locker room. He listens. He’s all about the team. He’s trying to play the right way.”"

Brown was shipped to Boston alongside Horford and presented a lot of intrigue to the Celtics organization thanks to his 21-point, 23-rebound performance against the Celtics. back in March.

In all likelihood, Moses Brown will be frontcourt depth for the Dallas Mavericks this season as head coach Jason Kidd and his staff attempt to further develop him into a key rotational player. Having dominated the G League previously, Brown has shown he has the potential, but that aforementioned tendency to disappear remains a concern. If he can add some necessary muscle to his upper body and develop his low post game, the 21-year-old can offer Dallas an invaluable asset the team has lacked in recent years, even if his use is somewhat sparse on the main roster.