Mavericks blocked from signing breakout youngster thanks to controversial NBA rule

Last season, the Dallas Mavericks' injury curse was one of the most bizarre sequences of bad luck that we've seen in franchise history. As soon as a player would get healthy, another guy would go down, and Dallas just wasn't healthy enough to be a true contender when it was all said and done though.

One player who quietly benefitted from the Mavs' injury bug was Kessler Edwards, as he ended up playing in 40 games and starting 18 games despite being on a two-way deal. Edwards shocked everyone with how well he played and he much he played, but a controversial NBA rule is holding Dallas back from signing him to their final open two-way deal this offseason.

Edwards has four years of NBA experience, meaning he can't sign another two-way deal with any team, and he remains unsigned despite having a strong end of the season for the Mavericks. Jason Kidd even had to start benching him at the end of the year to preserve his two-way eligibility, as Dallas needed him for many more games than he was eligible for.

NBA rule just wrecked the perfect Mavericks reunion

Two-way players typically don't become every-game members of the rotation, but Edwards was different.

He provided Dallas with defense, wing versatility, hustle, and strong 3-point shooting, and he always did whatever Kidd asked of him. His role looked different every game, as in some games he started at center while he barely played in other games, and he would have been the perfect player to sign again this summer.

The Mavs need more perimeter defense, shooting, and size, and since Dallas already signed a point guard and a shooting guard to two-way deals this summer (Ryan Nembhard and Miles Kelly), it would only make sense for them to sign a big-bodied wing like Edwards.

He possesses the intangibles that the Mavericks need to begin the year, and he was even spotted sitting courtside in Las Vegas at one of the Mavs' NBA Summer League games with multiple of his former teammates. He is clearly still close with the guys, but the NBA's four-year two-way rule is holding them back.

This rule can be viewed as controversial, as some players need more than four years to prove that they are worthy of a standard deal, and that opinion illustrates the position that Edwards is in to a tee. He was great in Dallas last season, providing consistent minutes, even in big games, but he still remains unsigned. One more two-way deal would've been ideal for Edwards to prove that he belongs in the NBA, but he could end up playing in the G League if a team doesn't take a chance on him.

This rule rips opportunity away from players, as Edwards proved that he deserves a roster spot somewhere around the league, but he can't be on a two-way contract anymore since he ran out of eligibility. Edwards went from having a steady role with the Mavericks to potentially not knowing where he'll play next year, and this all happened within the span of a few months.

The Mavericks signing Edwards to another two-way deal would have been the cherry on top of one of the most underrated offseasons in the NBA, but Dallas will have to look elsewhere to fill their final roster spot, while Edwards will have to look to sign with a different franchise.

Edwards did all of the little things right over his one-year stint with the Mavericks, and even though some fans have speculated that he'll sign with the Texas Legends before next season, it won't be the same, as he won't be a Maverick anymore.