Mavericks blow it by signing unproven 7-foot-5 big over proven summer standout

With training camp just around the corner, many teams are still making last-second moves to try to finalize their roster before heading into the three-week-long pre-season affair. Not only are the Dallas Mavericks still scrambling to make last-second roster decisions, such as stretching and waiving Olivier-Maxence Prosper to re-sign Dante Exum, but the team is also focused on who they can bring into camp and give a fair shot at competing for Dallas' final two-way roster spot.

As currently constructed, the Mavericks are heading into camp with one final two-way roster spot, which leaves a handful of notable guys scrapping for the shot at being on an NBA roster. Fans already have a few candidates of who they believe is worthy of earning that final roster spot, but only training camp and performance will be the telltale signs fans want to see.

As of yesterday, the Mavericks signed 7-foot-5 center Jamarion Sharp to an Exhibit-10 contract, which will grant him the right to stay with the team throughout the preseason. Plenty of fans are hopeful the Mavericks will add yet another center to their two-way repertoire; however, it's hard not to notice that the Mavericks may have dropped the ball after leaving Summer League standout Jordan Hall out to dry by not inviting him to training camp.

Mavericks let Summer League standout slip through the cracks

Throughout the five games that Sharp played in Summer League, it was increasingly clear that he wasn't ready for the professional level. From letting passes slip through his hands and dropping offensive rebounds that would have been easy buckets, all the way to missing defensive rotations, it was clear that the 7-foot-5 project player was just not meant to be in the NBA.

There's no doubt that Sharp has extremely high defensive upside with his incredible length and ability to defend the rim and affect shots from multiple feet away, and has the drive to get better, but due to his offense, Sharp may never reach his true potential. With this in mind, it may have been smarter for the Mavericks to invite Jordan Hall, who had a few explosive Summer League performances.

Coming into the league, Hall was a player who never specialized in one part of his game, which is why he went undrafted and straight to the G League, but it also made him an intriguing Swiss Army Knife. Through eight games with the Texas Legends, Hall would post an impressive 13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game, which made him an all-around player.

Hall would later be invited to the Mavericks' Summer League roster, where he would start multiple games and have an impressive stretch in three of those five outings. Hall may have never shot the ball entirely efficiently while in Las Vegas, but he proved to be a valuable piece that made the offense run at times.

The Mavericks already possess a player who has the size of a forward but can handle the ball in Naji Marshall, but in today's NBA, you can never have enough ball handling. Hall may not be the perfect prospect in terms of his skills and ceiling, but he has proven time and again that he has what it takes to play at the professional level.

Hall's bigger frame not only made him a force to move on the offensive end, but it also gave him defensive attributes that allowed him to guard two through four in Summer League. Not to mention, Hall could also dish the ball, which is something the Mavericks desperately need throughout their roster.

With Dallas' roster the way it is, Hall would be fighting an uphill battle to even get playing time in the first place, but his playmaking and defensive upside could have made him a dark horse candidate to earn Dallas' final two-way roster spot.