Will the Dallas Mavericks regret not signing Summer League standout A. J. Lawson?

The Dallas Mavericks will likely get another chance to sign A.J. Lawson: Will they capitalize?

Two-way contracts are fungible in the NBA. Last season, Nate Hinton, Eugene Omoruyi, Jaquori McLaughlin, Theo Pinson, and Moses Wright all spent time on two-way deals for the Mavericks, despite the team having just two to hand out at a time. They are chances to thrive in a team’s system and prove that you belong on a standard contract.

A.J. Lawson has that opportunity with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he will still be auditioning for a standard contract with any of the 30 NBA teams next offseason. Minnesota jumped to the front of the line for his services, and they could make him a restricted free agent next summer as the Mavericks did with Pinson this year, but players on two-way deals often become available to the rest of the league.

Lawson improved tremendously in the last year, and if he keeps getting better, the Dallas Mavericks will certainly regret not locking him up when they had the chance. They could get another opportunity to sign him down the line, and his standout performance in Las Vegas will give the Mavs reason to get a deal done.

The Mavericks are still looking to make moves this offseason. They have just 14 players under contract, and the front office is still searching for trades to upgrade their roster around superstar Luka Doncic. Stay tuned to see what Dallas does next.