Mavericks' next can't-miss roster move is clear after thrilling late-season surge

The Dallas Mavericks are continuing to hit home runs on two-way contract signees, as John Poulakidas continues to prove he can be a rotational player in the league, and for Dallas' sake, they need to convert him to a standard deal to keep him around next season. Poulakidas has now strung together a 23-point performance as well as a 28-point performance in the final three games of the season for the Mavericks, as Dallas desperately needed a younger shooter of his caliber.

With Poulakidas being a 23-year-old rookie, it was unclear what sort of impact he'd actually make in Dallas after being signed to a two-way deal on March 1, but he's blown the doors off all expectations through his short stint in Dallas thus far, as the Mavericks found another hidden gem in the two-way department.

John Poulakidas just proved he's not a two-way player

Poulakidas has great basketball IQ, and he's not afraid to pull up in the mid-range or attack off closeouts. He's elite from outside, and while he may not be the best defender in the world, there are plenty of shooter-types in the NBA who give up more on the defensive end, as he's not a bad athlete and competes hard on that end.

At 6-foot-6, Poulakidas mirrors the same sort of prototype as someone like Tim Hardaway Jr., even if he's not nearly as proven, and the Mavericks have been desperately lacking this type of player recently. Poulakidas may even pan out to be better than someone like Hardaway Jr. on the defensive end and in with his shot selection if what he's shown recently carries over to next season.

Given that Poulakidas is relatively unproven still, the Mavericks can just roll with him being on the same two-way contract, but Dallas shouldn't play with their food when it comes to this. Nailing Poulakidas on a standard deal is the best course of action considering Dallas' desperate need for his shooting, as well as the fact that they could sign him for multiple seasons before some other NBA team catches on to him.

Poulakidas has far more potential than initially expected

Sure, Poulakidas' most elite performances came in the twilight of the season when opposing teams weren't playing their full rotations, but it definitely seems like he's the type of prospect who was severely overlooked by NBA teams coming out of college, especially considering the fact that he was a four-year player coming out of Yale.

The Mavericks seem to have a niche for finding diamonds in the rough in the two-way department, and Poulakidas could be the ultimate culmination of this, as his skillset is invaluable, and he should be part of Dallas' quest in building around Cooper Flagg going forward. He's getting to learn behind one of the best to ever do it in Klay Thompson, which is probably doing numbers for his development, so the Mavericks can't pass up on the opportunity to nail him on a standard deal.

He would also save Dallas some headaches in terms of not having to throw the bag at a top marksman in the free agency pool, as he's extremely cost-effective at this point in his career. The Mavericks are in a prime position to get ahead of the curve by signing Poulakidas to a standard deal this summer, and if history is repeating itself with another gem in the two-way department, they should undoubtedly make this move.