Mavericks shockingly waive potential-packed wing just 1 game into preseason

After just one preseason game, Dallas Mavericks fans already can't wait for what's to come this season.

Although Dallas lost 121-116 on Monday night, there were several players whose performances were excellent. Dereck Lively II had an excellent game as he finished with 12 points on 5-5 shooting from the field and young guard Jazian Gortman was also excellent.

Gortman finished with 19 points, three rebounds, three assists, and four steals while shooting 7-13 from the field, and cemented himself as someone who could be in the hunt for that final roster spot. He looked extremely confident as a shooter, and he spoke on his drive on both ends of the floor after the game.

While all of the excitement is surrounding Gortman and his quest to try to snag a two-way roster spot, the excitement around a different young player from the Mavs has seemingly died down.

Mavericks waive A.J. Lawson after one preseason game

The Mavs announced that they waived A.J. Lawson on Tuesday afternoon, and that was one of the more shocking moves by Dallas in a while considering that Lawson only played in one preseason game before they decided to waive him.

Lawson finished with eight points on 3-7 shooting from the field and 1-4 shooting from downtown, and they must not have been impressed enough by his performance to keep him around to fight for a roster spot.

Lawson's contract was non-guaranteed heading into this season, and while cutting Lawson to make room for Markieff Morris on the 15-man roster has been a speculated move for some time now, I don't think anyone expected it to happen this soon. The Mavs could also have the chance to re-sign Lawson with their final two-way spot, but even that may be out of the picture now.

If that was in the Mavs' plans, it seems like they would have re-signed him back right away, and signing him to the final two-way spot after just one game wouldn't make much sense on Dallas' side anyway.

Gortman put on a show on Monday night, and Jason Kidd said that the battle for this final two-way spot is going to be "interesting."

Dallas waiving Lawson after just one preseason game is a big shocker considering how much they believed in him last year, and his journey may have to continue elsewhere. Lawson played in 42 games for the Mavs last season, and although his minutes often came when the games were out of reach, he occasionally provided some value within the rotation as well.

Lawson played more than 10 minutes 10 different times throughout the season, and the Mavs' battle for the final two-way spot is down to just a couple of guys now. With Lawson not in the mix anymore, it'll be down to Gortman, Jamarion Sharp, and Emanuel Miller to fight for the final roster spot.

Lawson showcased his potential at Summer League and his minutes last season, but Dallas will now look elsewhere for production in his role. His energy and athleticism will be missed, and the fight for the final roster spot rages on.