Mavericks vindicated for letting fan-favorite wing walk as he's out of the NBA

The Dallas Mavericks have been fully vindicated for not re-signing Kessler Edwards during the offseason, as he is out of the NBA. Edwards signed a training camp contract with the Denver Nuggets for the preseason, but ultimately didn't end up making the roster for the regular season.

This was a surprise to most fans, as he ended the season on a tear in Dallas. Over his final eight games last season (all starts), he averaged 10.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting an incredible 59.1 percent from downtown. He brought a sense of stability to that starting lineup despite everything that was going on around him, and many fans expected that they would at least explore bringing him back.

Speculation that he would somehow find his way back to Dallas grew after he was seen sitting courtside with some of his former Mavericks teammates at Summer League in Las Vegas, but nothing ever materialized.

The Mavericks were right to not re-sign Kessler Edwards

He is now playing for the Grand Rapids Gold of the G League and is, quite frankly, having a good season. He's averaging 16.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting over 40 percent from 3-point land, but the fact that not a single NBA team picked him up says something.

He's no longer eligible to be on a two-way contract, and the NBA is unforgiving.

Edwards spent all of last season with Dallas on a two-way contract, and many Mavs fans were insistent that the team needed to re-sign him to a standard deal moving forward. He played in 40 games (started 18 games), and averaged 4.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 40.7 percent from beyond the arc.

During Dallas' injury spell, he played center, power forward, and even some small forward, and won over fans with his versatility and energy. He was ready for whatever role that Jason Kidd assigned him, but his season was cut short.

Edwards ran out of two-way eligibility, and the Mavs didn't have a standard roster spot to give him. They decided to convert Brandon Williams' two-way contract instead, and Edwards' last game with Dallas was on March 25.

Now, just under 10 months after his last game in the NBA, the Mavericks clearly made the right decision to move on. Even though they need more wing depth and size, it doesn't seem like Edwards is the bona fide NBA wing that we once thought.

Unfortunately for Edwards, strong stretches don't always lead to sustained survival in the NBA, and players' opportunities to shine disappear quickly.

Not earning a standard contract anywhere after the way he played in Dallas is telling, and the NBA may already be out on the 25-year-old. Edwards still has plenty of time to prove that he deserves to return to the NBA and be on a team's 15-man roster one day, but the Mavericks weren't alone in their thoughts on the young wing.