5 Underrated centers the Mavericks should have signed instead of Moses Brown

The post All-Star break carousel of news has been kind to the Dallas Mavericks after weeks on end of Mavericks fans feeling like they couldn't catch a break. The Mavericks finally were able to sign another center in the form of former Maverick Moses Brown on Thursday morning, as the Mavericks were only able to sign the 7-foot-2 big man to a 10-day contract due to salary cap stipulations that limit the Mavericks from being able to sign a player to a veteran's minimum until the end of March.

Brown will provide needed rim protection as well as a rim-running threat, and he's become more adept at finishing around the basket off put-backs and when probing in the dunker spot. However, Brown isn't the most versatile big man in the world, and while it appears he's gained some strength and finishing ability since his 26 games with the Mavericks in the 2021-22 season, it's highly doubtful he comes in and turns Dallas' season around.

Brown will be a decent temporary solution for someone who can do that though, as Anthony Davis is making great progress from his left adductor strain and will be re-evaluated in two weeks. With some fans thinking it was a foregone conclusion Davis would be out till around the start of the playoffs, this is certainly a hopeful update in terms of his recovery, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him take the court by early to mid-March given this update.

5 Centers Dallas should've targeted instead of Moses Brown

The Mavericks will still need to survive the next two weeks at the very least without Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II though, and the Mavs still haven't announced a timetable for when Dwight Powell may come back from his hip strain. Given Dallas' depleted state at big man, they should've tried to find the best temporary solution at center till their lineup gets fully healthy again.

Brown is an intriguing 25-year-old big with great length, but he's been relatively unproven offensively in the NBA, and there's multiple other big men in the free agency pool that likely would've been better fits for the Mavs. With that being said, here are five bigs the Mavericks should have signed to a 10-day instead of Moses Brown.

5. Robin Lopez

36-year-old Robin Lopez would've given this already older-trending Mavericks roster a fountain of veteran experience. Lopez hasn't been on a team since the 2024 trade deadline after being waived by the Sacramento Kings upon being traded by the Milwaukee Bucks last season, though the wily big man would provide great physicality, rebounding and screen setting if Dallas opted to sign him instead of Brown.

Lopez may not have much left in the tank compared to his twin brother Brook, but he's a huge body that would be savvy in any situation. He showcased a semi-reliable 3-point shot over the past few seasons as well, which is something the Mavericks could've used given their lack of floor-stretching bigs, even if Lopez isn't the same rim protector he once was.

4. Armando Bacot

Armando Bacot grew to become a March Madness favorite among many college basketball and North Carolina Tar Heel fanatics, and though many fans haven't followed his post-collegiate career, he's been tearing it up in the G League recently. Bacot is a physical presence at 6-foot-10 and has solid touch around the rim, and though he's not an elite rim protector, he's answered some of the most pressing questions scouts had for him coming out of college.

Bacot would've easily been selected in the NBA Draft had he come out of college a few seasons earlier, and his lack of a 3-point shot as well as him not being the most quick-footed big-man defensively hurt his draft stock given he was 24 years old at the start of last year's draft. However, he's shot well from beyond the arc for the Memphis Hustle and has displayed increased defensive versatility by averaging 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks per game in 16 G League contests this season, and he would've been a great flyer for Dallas to buy low on compared to a more known commodity in Brown.

3. Udoka Azubuike

Udoka Azubuike is just as unproven of a player as Brown, though Azubuike has gotten far less of an opportunity compared to Brown and has flashed more NBA-ready applicable skillsets. At roughly 7-foot and 270 pounds, Azubuike is a unit of a human being, and he's a very solid athlete for his dimensions. Most bigs Azubuike's size don't have the level of explosiveness in the lob game or as a rim protector that he has, and they tend to have to compensate with their post-up game, rebounding ability, 3-point shooting, or passing.

Azubuike has a decent post hook and face-up game though, and while he may not possess the elite level athleticism that NBA teams covet at center, the combination of attributes that helped him get drafted as a first-round pick in 2020 is still intriguing given that he's only 25 years old still. Azubuike's best stretch in the NBA came in 17 games with Utah Jazz during the 2021-22 season, as he averaged 4.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in just 11.5 minutes per game.

Azubuike is currently playing for Budućnost VOLI, a top-tier team in the Montenegrin basketball league. The league is filled with solid competition despite not being a premier EuroLeague squad, and while Azubuike has had limited opportunity, he's scored and rebounded solidly in six games alongside former Mavs McKinley Wright IV and Yogi Ferrell.

2. James Wiseman

After being waived by the Toronto Raptors following this season's trade deadline, former 2020 second-overall pick James Wiseman is easily the most potential-packed player on this list, and he would've been a far more interesting trial run in Dallas compared to Brown. Wiseman was the marquee modern-day two-way center coming out of college, and while injuries cut his collegiate career to just three games at the University of Memphis, scouts coveted his elite athleticism at his 6-foot-11 and 250-pound frame.

Wiseman hasn't flashed the face-up dominance that we saw from him in high school and college, and he's subsequently failed to add a 3-point shot at this point of his career, which was one of the biggest questions scouts had for him at the time of the 2020 NBA Draft. However, these limitations haven't hindered Wiseman from being an effective starting-caliber big man, as his skillset offensively along with his athleticism on defense is enough for him to be a regular double-double machine and elite rim protector, though injuries have plagued Wiseman's career.

A torn right meniscus and sprained ankle hindered Wiseman to only being able to play a combined 60 games during his first two-and-a-half seasons with the Golden State Warriors, and he missed the entire 2021-22 season. After being traded to the Detroit Pistons at the 2023 NBA trade deadline, Wiseman had been relatively healthy and was showcasing some promise, but he unfortunately tore his Achilles in his first game of the 2024-25 season with the Indiana Pacers. Wiseman may have not helped the Mavs as much as Brown can this season, but he would've been a better buy-low candidate at only 23 years old once Dallas regains the ability to sign a player to a multi-year deal at the end of March or this offseason.

Brown was undoubtedly the better option for right now considering that he can play real minutes, but Wiseman may be a good project for the team to consider down the road.

1. Mo Bamba

Mo Bamba is undoubtedly the most proven player on this entire list and would've 100 percent been a more effective signing in all facets compared to Brown. At 26 years old and in his seventh NBA season, Bamba's basketball game may never blow up to the proportion that the popular song about him from rapper Sheck Wes did, though he's still a very reliable two-way big who could potentially develop some. In only 12.6 minutes per game for the LA Clippers throughout 28 games this season, Bamba averaged 4.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per game.

Bamba has gotten noticeably stronger since entering the league and his tantalizing length has always given him solid rim protection ability. Unfortunately for Bamba, he hasn't expanded his offensive bag much since coming into the league and his 3-point shot has fluctuated in efficiency from season to season. Bamba still has all the physical tools to be a bench-caliber big in this league, and he's a better rebounder and more savvy player compared to his younger days.

Even if Bamba never reaches his full potential, the current day version of him is a more polished product compared to Brown, and he arguably has more potential than Brown still with both players being very close in age.