Kidd reveals bold plan for Mavericks' newly-signed 7-footer's immediate impact

Entering the NBA All-Star break, it was clear that the Dallas Mavericks' center rotation wasn't sustainable. Kessler Edwards was playing the majority of the center minutes for Dallas, and while the Mavs won four of five games heading into the break, some sort of move needed to be made.

The only healthy center on the roster was Kylor Kelley since Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, Dwight Powell, and Anthony Davis are out due to injuries, and he hasn't earned Jason Kidd's trust yet to be a regular player in the rotation. The Mavericks temporarily sealed their hole at center by signing Moses Brown to a 10-day contract on Thursday, and he is set to play for Dallas tonight against the New Orleans Pelicans.

This is Brown's second stint with the Mavs, as he played 26 games for them back in the 2021-22 season and averaged 3.1 points and 2.3 rebounds per game while shooting 54 percent from the field. Dallas needed size badly before returning to the floor tonight, and it sounds like Kidd is excited about the potential of his new 7-foot-2 big man that he will get to utilize over the next week and a half until his 10-day deal expires.

Jason Kidd will throw Moses Brown into the fire immediately

Kidd made it clear that Brown will play tonight against New Orleans, meaning the Mavericks will be taking a much different approach compared to recently. Kelley, Dallas' only healthy center outside of Brown, only played in about five minutes combined over the last two games, leaving most of the center minutes to Edwards. It looks like this will change tonight with Brown being back in Dallas.

"With the proper minutes, I think he can give you a double-double," Kidd said when asked about Brown. "He can score and rebound for you, and so if he does get into the teens of playing, he can fill up the stat sheet."

Kidd said he liked what he saw out of Brown in his first practice with the Mavs yesterday, but fans must also remember that Kidd was the coach during Brown's first stint in Dallas. He is familiar with Brown's game, and it seems like he thinks he can help right away.

This isn't to say that Brown is going to play huge minutes right away, but it sounds like he will play in some capacity. Dallas needs someone who can battle down low with good size, and Brown can do just that.

In the G League this season, Brown averaged 15.6 points, 15.2 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 58.1 percent from the field. He has definitely improved as a finisher since his last stint with the Mavericks, and he will likely pass Kelley on the depth chart right away.

The Mavericks wouldn't have signed him if he wasn't going to play some sort of role during this wild time of all of their centers being injured, but considering Dallas' cap situation, Brown's signing could also mean that one of the other bigs is set to return soon.

The big who is most likely to return first seems to be Powell, as he was reportedly participating in workouts in Miami over All-Star break, but he still isn't back to being a full participant in practice yet. Kidd said Powell only did non-contact work in Thursday's practice, but it sounds like he is trending in the right direction to make his return before Gafford, Lively II, or Davis, as they will all be reevaluated on March 6.