Klay Thompson buyout shouldn't be the Mavericks' last move of the offseason

The Dallas Mavericks bought out Klay Thompson at the end of last week, but this shouldn't be the last move the team makes this summer. They have a clear hole at backup point guard for the second year in a row, and to strengthen this spot, they could look to waive one of their two-way players to sign a point guard.

For starters, Dallas shouldn't consider cutting Tobi Lawal under any circumstances. They just drafted him earlier this summer, and they at least need to see how he plays next season before making any rash decisions with him.

Poulakidas and Howard seem the most expendable

This leaves them with John Poulakidas and Jett Howard as the players who could be expendable. Poulakidas is entering his second season in Dallas after a productive end to his rookie year, while Howard enters his fourth season in the NBA. This will be his first season with the Mavs after spending the first three years of his career in Orlando.

The battle between Howard and Poulakidas could end up being pivotal, as both players are best known for their knockdown shooting on the wing. Dusty May doesn't have enough room in his rotation for both players, and one of these players could be off the team before the season begins.

Two-way contracts are easy for teams to get out of since they don't count against the salary cap. The Mavericks haven't been shy about cutting two-way players in the past, as Miles Kelly was waived last season and Tyler Smith was cut earlier this summer. Poulakidas and Howard could be in for a similar fate if the depth behind Kyrie Irving struggles early on.

Dallas needs more point guards

As things stand, the only point guards behind Irving are Sergio De Larrea and Marcus Sasser. This is nowhere near enough depth, and if Irving gets injured, the Mavericks would be in serious trouble.

This is why they may be forced to consider waiving Howard or Poulakidas before the season begins.

This would be a crushing fate for either player, as Poulakidas has excellent potential as a 3-point specialist and Howard had the chance to have a fresh start in Dallas, but the Mavericks need more guard depth badly.

Bringing in a young point guard on a two-way deal could end up being a low-risk, high-reward move, and based on Dallas' success with two-way guards in the past, they could find another hidden gem by making such a move. Brandon Williams and Ryan Nembhard both earned standard contracts with the Mavs after previously being on two-way contracts, and considering the team's current roster construction, the next guard they sign to a two-way deal could go on a similar trajectory.

The Mavericks have too many wings

The Mavs are already overloaded on the wing. Even without Thompson, Cooper Flagg, Max Christie, Tarik Biberovic, Naji Marshall, Caleb Martin, Zaccharie Risacher, and P.J. Washington can all play on the wing, making Howard and Poulakidas' path to getting rotation minutes extremely challenging.

This doesn't mean it will be impossible, as the Mavs have prioritized putting more shooting around Flagg, but if the team's main goal is having two-way players who can later grow into rotation players, they may need to consider adding a guard. These young players need playing time to develop, and a guard could find himself in the rotation if one of the Mavs' other point guards gets injured.

Dallas has all of training camp and preseason to evaluate their roster, and if one of Poulakidas or Howard disappoints, moving on for a guard may be the best move to ensure that Irving isn't left out to dry.

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