Mavericks cut a rising star after his 45-point breakout hints at what's next

Earlier this month, the Dallas Mavericks cut Miles Kelly to make room for John Poulakidas and Tyler Smith, while also converting Ryan Nembhard's two-way contract to a standard deal. Dallas signed Kelly to a two-way deal following the conclusion of the 2025 NBA Draft, but waived him to evaluate other players as the 2025-26 season comes to a close.

A few weeks later, it already looks like a mistake. Kelly remained with the Texas Legends rather than seeking an opportunity elsewhere. He finished with 45 points in 31 minutes for the Legends last week against the Salt Lake City Stars, before dropping 37 points off the bench earlier this week. These are the type of performances that make the Auburn University product special.

If Kelly continues to put up performances like this and turns into one of the best shooters in the G League, the Mavericks may regret letting him go. They need as much talent as possible around Cooper Flagg heading into next season, and Kelly seemed like someone who could grow into a strong role player off the bench if given the minutes.

Kelly's 45-point outburst should have the Mavericks thinking twice

Kelly's full stat line against the Stars last week was 45 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals, all while shooting 16-27 from the field and 7-11 from beyond the arc. He dominated from the opening tip to the final buzzer, finishing his historic night with a game-winning three from the left wing.

The most impressive part of the rookie's big performance? He did this off the bench.

"He's come off the bench, and there's no ego with that," Legends head coach Max Hooper told The Smoking Cuban. "I haven't noticed any ego with that, just all positive, all business-like approach from him. He's been great."

The Mavericks obviously need bench shooting like crazy right now, as they have the third-worst 3-point percentage in the NBA. Kelly could be developing his game on the Mavericks as their season comes to a close. Instead, he's lighting it up in Frisco for the Legends.

The Mavericks' decision to move on woke up a monster in Kelly

45 points and a game-winner is an unreal game for a player who wasn't even in the starting lineup, and his recent surge has caught the eyes of those around the Legends. One Legends team source said that Kelly has been "unbelievable" since being cut by the Mavericks, later alluding to the fact that being cut by Dallas may have added some wind to his sails.

"The thing that I've noticed most about Miles is that he's always smiling," one team source said.

Kelly never lacked motivation beforehand, but getting waived by your NBA team as a rookie has to be a humbling experience. He struggled to put exact words into how it feels playing with this type of edge, but it's clear that he's a man on a mission.

"I don’t even know," Kelly told The Smoking Cuban when asked what it feels like for him to play with a chip on his shoulder. "It’s just a feeling you have out there on the court. A lot of it stems from my confidence and how much work I’ve put in. Just going out there and relying on that, because I’ve repped everything that y’all see out there on the court thousands of times before. I would just say my confidence, having that at an all-time high."

Kelly's confidence has fueled multiple big nights, including a 45-point game, a 37-point game, and multiple other 20-point games since the Mavs decided to move on. He is playing some of the best basketball of his professional career right now, and when asked about the drive he's playing with right now, he didn't hold back.

"There’s no sugar coating it, there's definitely a chip on my shoulder," Kelly said after his 37-point performance against the San Diego Clippers on Monday night. "I can't even lie. So, just wanted to come out here and play good basketball and rely on my work, and everything will show."

Miles Kelly's hard work is paying off

Kelly's work definitely showed against the Clippers, drilling five 3-pointers, but his work inside the arc was also on display. He was attacking closeouts and beating defenders off the dribble to finish at the rim. Becoming more rounded is one area that will definitely help him take the next step in his development, and he has shown that he is much more than a 3-point marksman.

"The big scoring numbers are great, but he’s been great defensively," Legends head coach Max Hooper told The Smoking Cuban. "He's also made a lot of the right plays, he's passing the ball, and he's been a positive member of the team as well. Those are the things you look for when a guy has something like that happen."

Kelly is directly leading the Legends to wins

Hooper also touched on Kelly's major impact on winning, as he has helped lead the Legends to three wins in a row and wins in five of their last seven games. This comes after Texas dropped nine games in a row and lost 13 of 14 games — a stretch they're obviously not proud of.

Hooper and Kelly briefly met before the Legends' March 7 game against the Oklahoma City Blue — his first game after being waived by the Mavericks. Hooper's message obviously got through to his young guard, and the results show it.

He told Kelly that he still believes in him "at a high level," regardless of his contract status, and wants to push him toward all of his goals.

Less than two weeks later, it's clear that Kelly responded well. He reiterated to Hooper that he wants to keep working for the Legends and "attack this opportunity," according to Hooper.

"At that point, we had about 11 games left, and you can say undoubtedly he has attacked these 11 games," Hooper told The Smoking Cuban. "He’s done a lot of good things for us. The theme of the season for me has been three words: consistency, competitiveness, and confidence. He’s exemplifying all three of those right now, and we just want him to keep it up."

The Legends have been able to string together some gritty home victories with the help of Kelly's competitive fire, shooting, and scoring, and everything else is falling into place.

"We've taught him all season, it's not just all about scoring points," Hooper noted to The Smoking Cuban. "Yeah, it feels good when you score 45 points, score 37 points, but now you're doing it while winning...Lately, we're playing the way I hoped we would have played all season. You're going to drop games here and there, but we're consistently having a winning attitude and winning culture, and he's been a massive part of that."

Miles Kelly's Dallas stint was an uphill battle

Mavericks fans always knew that Kelly was a knockdown shooter, but he never had much of a chance to prove it during his time with Dallas. He only played in 14 contests before being cut by the Mavericks, and he averaged 3.1 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.

Mavs fans always wanted to see more out of him, but Jason Kidd didn't have the minutes to give him. They were already fairly loaded at his position, having Klay Thompson and Max Christie play the same role as him, and Khris Middleton getting traded to Dallas added another shooter that he was going to have to fight with for playing time.

A 45-point game doesn't come by accident, and Dallas may regret waiving him down the line if he can continue to develop and turns into a knockdown shooter for a different NBA team. He isn't running from the adversity that comes with playing in the G League, and this drive may be what turns him into a rotational piece in the NBA one day.

"I’m a guy that likes to face adversity head-on," Kelly told The Smoking Cuban. "I’m not a guy to run from any type of adversity. I think that’s what builds my game and my character."