Mavericks' decision to sign A.J. Lawson over camp standout will pay dividends

The Dallas Mavericks are making decisions to their roster with the regular season around the corner.

A.J. Lawson, a reliable backup was signed by the Mavs on a two-way contract as likely the last roster spot.

The Mavericks made the right decision to keep Lawson, even if he's a guy who's been around a ton of roster moves before. Dallas cut him from his standard contract just a few days before, but they wanted to ensure he remained in the organization and brought him back on a two-way deal.

The Mavs have a reliable backup with potential in Lawson, and the organization is making a great move keeping him.

Dallas made the right move by signing Lawson over Gortman

Lawson is a young guy with tons of experienced players playing before him, but he's someone who adds a bit of a familiar presence to the team.

Following his deal, this will be his third season with the Mavs. He knows Jason Kidd and the team pretty well now.

Lawson saw the court in just about half of the games last year. In 42 games, he averaged 3.2 points per game. He still got some time off the rotation which is saying something considering the well-balanced Mavs roster.

Some might say it was a bit shocking to see him cut at first, especially after just one preseason game.

Jazian Gortman played well and had 19 points along with three rebounds, three assists, and three steals and put up an impressive game in a fight for that final two-way spot. Although he has looked solid in both preseason games, Dallas made the right decision by signing Lawson instead.

The competition for Dallas is already starting, and it's in their own locker room.

Gortman was a standout and deserves to be involved in an NBA roster. Lawson was signed as the two-way guy along with Brandon Williams and Kessler Edwards. Edwards had gotten less playing time last season than he had in the 2022-23 season, but he still has plenty of athleticism to bring.

That's the same player inside Lawson. He's got a lanky body that's athletic and fast. His body isn't as thick as other wings who are decent defenders, but the Mavericks can definitely work with his athleticism. Lawson was the same player that was in danger of getting cut this season, but it turns out, he's safe for now.

It's unlikely that the Mavs will break up anything now and bring Gortman in. Lawson, Williams, and Edwards will probably be the two-way guys to move forward for the regular season, but that doesn't mean that Gortman doesn't have a shot. If he continues to ball out, Kidd could have a tough decision to make.

Lawson should continue to develop with the team during his continuous young tenure with Dallas.

He could be involved in more of the rotation should someone like Naji Marshall or Quentin Grimes go down with an injury.

Hopefully, the coaching staff will continue to challenge him in this regular season.