Mavericks' biggest roster question left wide open after shaky Summer League showing

After today's win over the Orlando Magic, the Dallas Mavericks' Summer League journey is officially over as they finished 2-3. Dallas' five Summer League games were filled with highs and lows, as Cooper Flagg dominated in his second game and Ryan Nembhard proved to be a rotation-caliber guard in just three games, but their biggest roster hole remains unfilled.

Mavericks fans hoped that someone at Summer League would prove that they deserve the final two-way spot, and while Dallas will likely take this two-way spot into training camp in a few months, no one has clearly separated themselves from the pack.

Melvin Ajinca seemed like someone who was going to be in a great spot to show off his improved shooting and defense from the past year in the EuroLeague, but a groin injury kept him out of all five of Dallas' games.

The battle for the Mavericks' final roster spot is far from over

Mavs Summer League head coach Josh Broghamer listed Ajinca as "day-to-day" multiple times while the team was in Las Vegas, but they never ended up activating him for a game. Other players who could have been in the hunt to prove something to the coaching staff include Jamarion Sharp and Maxwell Lewis, as Sharp has shown some improvement over the last year and Lewis showed some serious flashes toward the end of Summer League, but neither one of them was the clear-cut frontrunner to make a push for that final two-way contract just yet.

As things stand, the player who secures that final two-way deal for Dallas may not even be on the roster right now, and it's going to be a dogfight during the preseason to see who secures a roster spot. The hierarchy of who will earn a contract could also depend on what position the Mavericks prioritize, and it seems likely that they will go with a wing or a big.

With Dallas already having Nembhard and Miles Kelly signed, a sturdy wing or a center seems like a probable possibility, and Jason Kidd and Nico Harrison are going to have a handful of options in each of these spots.

Someone like Moussa Cisse or Sharp is the Mavs' only two options if they want to go with a center, and while both players showed promise at different points during Summer League, they are going to have to show much more in order to be on Dallas' 18-man roster during the regular season.

On the wing, Lewis and Jordan Hall were the two standouts during Summer League, and Hall's versatility was intriguing while Lewis's ability to confidently heat up from three was impressive in Dallas' fourth game against the Philadelphia 76ers and final game against Orlando. Hall showed the coaching staff that he can handle the ball sometimes when needed, even standing at 6-foot-7, and that could end up being something that catches Dallas' eye as they narrow their roster down in a few months.

Hall prides himself on being able to play with anyone, and with the Mavericks' stout interior frontcourt, this is an important trade for wings they bring on. A solid training camp from Hall, Lewis, or even Ajinca could lead Dallas to keep them around permanently, but their Summer League performances weren't convincing enough to guarantee this.

Kidd and Harrison will have a big decision to make in a few months as they decide who they would like to join their already-loaded roster, and preseason and training camp will be telling on what they think of the aforementioned prospects.