Mavericks quietly part ways with another crucial piece of last year’s roster

The Dallas Mavericks have officially lost the chance to bring back Kessler Edwards this summer, as he signed a one-year deal with the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday afternoon, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.

Edwards will now have the chance to compete for minutes in Denver if he secures a roster spot after training camp (he's on an Exhibit 10 contract with the Nuggets), one of the biggest powerhouses in the Western Conference, which is led by the best big man in the league, Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets are coming off a season in which they took the mighty Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, and Edwards joins Hardaway Jr. as another former Maverick who will be playing for Denver next season.

Last season for Dallas, Edwards averaged 4.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game while shooting a career-high 49.6 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from downtown. Edwards was expected to be one of the league's top two-way players when Dallas signed him last summer, and he did not disappoint in his one season with the team, proving he deserved a contract somewhere this summer.

Mavericks lose shot to somehow bring back Kessler Edwards

Edwards played in 40 games for Dallas, including 18 starts, and ultimately reached his limit as a two-way player of being active for 50 games by the time the season wrapped up. Jason Kidd had to be strategic about when to play Edwards toward the end of the season, as his value as a two-way player was far higher than anyone could've imagined. He played any and every position that Kidd asked of him, including center, and he was fully bought into his role all season long.

Without Edwards' versatility, the Mavericks would have been in even more of a brutal spot during their unbelievably bad injury spell last season, and he stepped up to the plate when Kidd needed him most.

Now, Mavericks fans will be forced to see him play in a Nuggets jersey for next season, and Dallas and Denver are bound to have some excellent matchups. Both teams have one of the league's top bigs on their rosters, as Dallas has Anthony Davis and Denver has Jokic, and Edwards heading to the Mile High City is a major reason to be extra tuned in to these games.

If the Mavericks want to be one of the best teams in the NBA, they are undoubtedly going to have to go through the Nuggets, and their offseason is nothing to look past. Adding Edwards, Hardaway Jr., Cam Johnson, and Bruce Brown are some major pickups, and we could be in for some outstanding games between Dallas and Denver.

Although Edwards likely won't have as big a role with the Nuggets as he did with the Mavericks, he gives them someone who can play multiple positions, knock down open threes, and defend at a high level. His ability to switch on defense, affect the game with his length, and play either forward spot was major for Dallas, and he made some big plays for the Mavs throughout the season that can't go overlooked.

Many Mavs fans hoped that Edwards would return to Dallas, and he likely would have if they had an open roster spot. As things stand now, the Mavs have 16 players signed to standard contracts, and since they already have to dump a player to make room for Dante Exum, they would've had to get rid of a second player to create a roster spot for Edwards.

Dallas has now lost multiple key pieces from last season to free agency, as Edwards signed with the Nuggets on an Exhibit 10 contract and Spencer Dinwiddie signed with the Charlotte Hornets, and they could be about to lose Kai Jones, as he worked out with the Miami Heat yesterday. Edwards was a key member of the Mavs' 2024-25 squad, and he will be missed as he begins a new chapter of his career with the Nuggets.