Mavericks break NBA's mold with bold training camp roster additions

The Dallas Mavericks aren't messing around when it comes to their training camp roster, and they're signing guys who are going to ignite as much competition as possible rather than flash-in-the-pan signings of young players who don't have a shot at making the roster.

Over the last week, Dallas has signed Dennis Smith Jr. and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to training camp deals, and even though there isn't currently room for them on the roster, they are going to get the players in front of them to work as hard as they can. Neither guy is the type of players who have major boom potential, as they have been in the league for some time and are what they are at this point, but their experience should add plenty of competition as training camp begins next week.

Smith Jr., in particular, could be someone who sparks some friendly competition with Brandon Williams, as Williams' contract isn't fully guaranteed. Mavericks fans have speculated that this will be the battle to watch during the preseason and training camp, as Williams could end up getting cut if Smith Jr. proves that he deserves a spot on the 15-man roster.

Mavericks' training camp roster has real stakes

This seems like a long shot, as Williams was excellent for the Mavs at the end of last season, but it's definitely not impossible. The Mavericks have been interested in Smith Jr. for some time now, and if he dominates in the preseason, it wouldn't be a shocker if he finds himself on the roster before the 2025-26 season begins.

Dallas has been in a similar situation before, as they brought Samuel Dalembert back for a second stint ahead of the 2014-15 season, but they elected to cut him in favor of Salah Mejri. The Mavericks could do something similar this training camp by cutting Williams in favor of Smith Jr., and both players could end up being under a microscope by the Mavs' coaching staff and front office to see who better fits their current roster.

With Robinson-Earl, it'll likely be a much tougher pathway for him to stick around, but he could end up proving that he belongs as well.

Last season for the New Orleans Pelicans, Robinson-Earl averaged 6.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 45.5 percent from the field in 66 games. He plays with great energy, is a solid defender and cutter, and brings hustle every time that he steps onto the floor. Robinson-Earl is also a good floor spacer, and the Mavericks definitely need more stretch bigs on their roster.

As things stand now, Dallas doesn't have a true stretch big on their roster, and he could offer Jason Kidd an interesting new piece to deploy when needed if he does end up exceeding everyone's expectations and proving that he deserves a roster spot. It would be much harder to keep him than Smith Jr., as their frontcourt room is all but locked up, but he will certainly provide some competition for the other bigs on the roster, such as Dwight Powell.

The Mavericks didn't follow the norm and sign young players who would never have a shot at making their 15-man roster. They brought in two proven veterans who will shake up the daily competition of training camp, and we could see one of them making the 15-man roster by the time that the regular season rolls around, depending on how they perform over four preseason games and training camp.