Mavericks are blatantly screwing up their final open roster spot

Just weeks before the Dallas Mavericks training camp begins, the team is still in search of a candidate to fill its final two-way roster spot. Last season, the Mavericks found some gems through their two-way roster spots in Brandon Williams and Kai Jones, and while the Mavericks currently have Miles Kelly and Ryan Nembhard, who both have a chance to impact the rotation at a winning level, the team is still in search of a promising candidate to round out their roster.

All indications are that Nico Harrison and Jason Kidd want to sign a rookie to the team's final roster spot (since all of their Exhibit 10 players would be rookies), and after signing Jamarion Sharp to an Exhibit 10 deal, who is a promising young 7-foot-5 center, the Mavericks are also looking for size. The Mavericks have already signed Moussa Cisse, who is another rookie center who had a disappointing Summer League, but the team could be severely overlooking a second-year wing who had a strong final two games in Las Vegas.

Maxwell Lewis was a name that got many fans to raise their eyebrows and tune in to see, but after a disappointing opening game where he seemingly couldn't get into an offensive rhythm, fans quickly wrote him off. Lewis would not only bounce back in a big way during Dallas' final few Summer League games, but the Mavericks may be shooting themselves in the foot by not giving him a training camp invite.

Mavericks may regret not giving Maxwell Lewis a camp invite

Training camp is all about experimenting with your roster and allowing players the opportunity to get more reps than they would in the regular season. With this in mind, the Mavericks have sent a clear message that they want to surround their roster with young players in the hope that one of them can emerge as Dallas' final two-way candidate.

The Mavericks have already signed Matthew Cleveland, who fits the young mold the Mavericks are attempting to build with their Exhibit 10 deals, and while Cleveland is a promising young guard, the team is blatantly overlooking their best available talent. Lewis not only fits the archetype of player the Mavericks desperately need, which is someone who can draw the defense's attention, but he has also become an above-average defender.

Two-way deals were created to give younger players the opportunity to play at the NBA level and teams the opportunity to sign young talent with little to no risk.

Last season for the Mavericks, they saw the full benefit of having three extra roster spots due to the copious amounts of injuries that piled on the team throughout the regular season. Not only would the Mavericks find a diamond in the rough in Williams, but they also managed to find multiple players who were able to fill roster needs when injuries were at their worst.

For a player like Lewis, he was already on a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers last season before being waived midway through the regular season. By signing Lewis to Dallas' final roster spot, the Mavericks aren't losing any value, and they gain a player who already possesses two years of NBA talent.

Throughout the Summer League, Lewis would only get more comfortable on both ends of the floor, and in the team's final two games, he was clearly Dallas' best player. Even if it isn't with the Mavericks, Lewis proved he deserves another crack at playing on an NBA roster, even if it's just on a two-way contract.

Lewis has plenty of athleticism to be molded into a player who could one day crack a team's rotation, and he may still be a project player, but the Mavericks have nothing but time, as Flagg is only 18 years old.