Mavericks quietly landed a crucial secret weapon to jumpstart the Cooper Flagg era

With Kyrie Irving out of the lineup for potentially the entire season, the Dallas Mavericks have lacked a true veteran point guard to run the lineup, but after Malaki Branham was re-routed to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Tyus Jones as part of the Anthony Davis deal, the Mavericks finally have a true veteran table-setter to help Cooper Flagg and Dallas' young guards blossom.

Of course, rookie Ryan Nembhard is somewhat of a game-manager/table-setter himself, but Nembhard doesn't quite have the three-level scoring chops that Jones has at this point in their respective careers, even if Jones has had a career-worst season for the Orlando Magic this year. Jones has struggled mightily from a shooting perspective this season, shooting a career-worst 29.4 percent from outside, and Orlando had to give up two second-round picks to part ways with him.

However, he's been in the league since the 2015-16 season and definitely has a playmaking-first type of mentality on the floor, so on paper, he should fit great in lineups with dynamic slashers like Flagg and Naji Marshall, and hopefully, he can rekindle his shooting in Dallas. And for Jones, getting an opportunity to potentially start could help bolster his play, as he only started eight of 48 games played for the Magic this season.

Tyus Jones will help elevate Cooper Flagg and Dallas' young guards

If nothing else, Jones will be a great veteran mentor, and he can definitely give Nembhard plenty of tips and tricks in terms of his pacing and how to manipulate defenses, as well as 26-year-old guard Brandon Williams and newly-acquired guard AJ Johnson. Irving being healthy may have negated the need for someone like Jones, but this obviously hasn't been the case this season, and the Mavericks will likely weigh whether it's even a good idea to bring Irving back this season or not.

Irving will continue to be a great leader in the locker room and when he's with the team, but given his situation, he can't always be the strong veteran leader at point guard that Dallas needs during in-game scenarios and during huddles, especially since he isn't always traveling with the team.

The Mavericks desperately needed another guard in the rotation after dishing out D'Angelo Russell and Jaden Hardy at the trade deadline, and Jones is a low-stakes gamble that could pay off for Dallas beyond just his on-court production. Dallas already isn't in the business of trying to compete for a spot in the Play-In Tournament in all likelihood this season, so even if Jones isn't a huge help on the court, his mentorship could pay dividends in future seasons.

Jones also adds to the Duke University contingent the Mavericks have on their roster, so he should be a great fit for chemistry and vibes as well, which is definitely something that matters, considering it can get tough inside losing locker rooms toward the end of the season. Jones is on a $7 million expiring contract, so Dallas could bring him back for cheap next season if he plays decent, or let him walk and get some financial relief if all else fails, but his mentorship will be invaluable regardless.