Jason Kidd quietly exposes who could be the Mavericks' next offseason signing

Tyus Jones has already started in two of his first five games as a Dallas Maverick, and Jason Kidd's decision to play him this much early on could be a strong indicator that Dallas is looking to re-sign him this summer.

He is averaging 17.8 minutes per game as a Maverick, an increase from how much he was previously playing with the Orlando Magic earlier this season, and Kidd at least wants to see what he has in him with less than 30 games remaining in the regular season. Kidd is known for experimenting with different lineups and rotations, and Jones is having the perfect chance to showcase his skills to the Mavericks' coaching staff and front office.

Dallas traded Malaki Branham for Jones as an expansion of the Anthony Davis trade on the day of the trade deadline, and it didn't take long for this deal to tip in the Mavericks' direction. The Charlotte Hornets waived Branham after acquiring him. On the other hand, Jones has been playing considerably more (and a bit better) in Dallas than he did on the Orlando Magic, and the Mavericks could already be planning to keep him this offseason.

Dallas could be eying a new contract for Tyus Jones this summer

Trading Branham for Jones was a clear indicator that Dallas at least liked Jones, and the rumbles following this deal backed that up even more. The Mavericks wanted to sign Jones over the offseason before he ultimately signed with the Magic, and they didn't pass up the opportunity to bring him in before this season ended.

The Mavs bringing in a player who would help them win right now and strengthen their backcourt when they really need to be tanking was already a clear sign, and a comment from Matt Riccardi after trading for him shows how much they like Jones in Dallas. The Mavericks are targeting a specific type of player as they enter this new era, and Jones fits that mold.

"I think Tyus, as we mentioned before, is just a really good natural point guard," Riccardi said. "He’s an organizer, he’s a game manager. He is different from the guys we currently have on the roster, so as Fin mentioned, we are hoping he can provide some leadership out there on the floor, some extension of our coaching staff on the floor during game play, and help organize our group."

Dallas believed that Jones would help the guys already on their roster improve their game, and Riccardi said that was one of the reasons that they traded for him. Now, less than a month later, he has been sharing all point guard duties with Brandon Williams.

The Mavericks obviously don't have many other options to choose from with Ryan Nembhard's two-way eligibility dwindling down, but the entire Jones situation could be pointing to Dallas at least thinking about bringing him back after this season. They wouldn't have traded for him after targeting him in the offseason if this weren't the case, and Kidd seems to at least like what he brings to the table.

We've seen an up-and-down start with Jones in Dallas, including some quiet performances, but the Mavericks could explore re-signing the veteran point guard to back up Kyrie Irving after this season.