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

The Dallas Mavericks were the only winless team during the NBA2K23 Summer League in Las Vegas. They lost all five games as rookie second-round pick Jaden Hardy struggled. Hardy had 28 points in the team’s summer league opener before struggling to find his jumper and dealing with double teams. Hardy is just 20 years old, but he did not shine in Vegas as the Mavericks hoped.

A.J. Lawson was the team’s best player in the summer league. The 22-year-old wing averaged 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.8 steals in 29.5 minutes per over the five games. He showcased his ability on both ends of the floor as Lawson played stout defense and thrived in the team’s system. He spaced the floor, knocked down jumpers, and made the most of his opportunity.

Lawson went undrafted in 2021 after three years at the University of South Carolina. He spent last season playing for the College Park Skyhawks in the G League where he averaged 11.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.3 steals in 31.8 minutes per game. The 6’6 wing did not receive an NBA chance last season, but he will in the upcoming one.

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

Lawson agreed to a two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves on July 19, according to Shams Charania. The deal means Lawson will play for both the Timberwolves and their G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, next season. He can play a maximum of 50 regular season games with Minnesota, and the 22-year-old is ineligible for the playoffs unless he gets upgraded to a standard contract.

Will the Dallas Mavericks regret missing out on signing their NBA2K23 Summer League standout, A.J. Lawson?

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

Lawson is a young 6’6 wing with a versatile skill set. The Mavs reached the conference finals last season by putting 3-and-D wings around Luka Doncic and a secondary ball-handler. Dorian Finney-Smith, Reggie Bullock, and Maxi Kleber were all part of the Mavs best postseason lineup, and each could be described as a 3-and-D option.

Lawson is not ready NBA role, but Doe-Doe was still in college as a 22-year-old. Bullock played 9.2 minutes per over 43 games as a rookie for the LA Clippers at that age, and Maxi Kleber was four years away from coming to the NBA. Kleber was playing professionally in Germany, but his game was far from a finished product.

A.J. Lawson outplayed Moses Wright, who was on a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks last season, in the Las Vegas Summer League. Wright averaged 15.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steal in 19.0 minutes per game during the event, but those numbers were inflated by a 26-point performance against the Bucks where the 6’8 forward looked dominant.

The Mavs signed Tyler Dorsey to fill their other two-way contract after the 26-year-old has played well overseas in recent years. Brining the 6’5 wing back to the United States prevented Dallas from signing Lawson.

The Mavericks will regret not signing A.J. Lawson because he is a developing 3-and-D wing that fits well in their system. He proved he can thrive playing for Dallas in Las Vegas, but the 6’6 wing found a better opportunity elsewhere. Mavs fans should not panic, though. Dallas could easily get another chance at signing 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.