Dallas Mavericks forced into tough position with final roster spot
By Noah Weber
The NBA Summer League is fully underway, and the Dallas Mavericks dropped their first game to the Utah Jazz last weekend. There are plenty of storylines to keep an eye on, especially with second-round pick Melvin Ajinca and the development of Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and good performances out of some of these players could lead to them landing the final roster spot for the regular season.
As things stand now, Dallas has one open spot on the 15-man roster and two open two-way spots, and it's definitely going to be a tough choice on who they decide to sign to fill this spot.
There have been rumors that the Mavs want to upgrade their backcourt with this roster spot, but one fan-favorite veteran seems convinced he'll be re-signing with the team this summer.
Mavericks may hurt some feelings with decision on final roster spot
Markieff Morris is confident that he'll be re-signing with the Mavs this summer, and there have been reports that the Mavs want to keep him as well.
This puts the Mavs in a tough spot, as they now have to decide who they want to sign with this last spot. Do they prioritize bringing back Morris, signing a backup guard, or thinking about giving it to Ajinca?
The Mavs have several options when it comes to who they give this spot to, but regardless, it won't be easy. If they re-sign Morris, that leaves them without a third established creator. If they sign a backup point guard, they'd be without one of the biggest leaders on the team last year in Morris.
Dallas could decide to waive AJ Lawson if they want to re-sign Morris and sign a backup guard due to his contract being non-guaranteed, but then Dallas would pretty much be giving up on his development and losing his team-friendly contract.
The Mavs have plenty of decisions to make, and if someone like Ajinca has a great Summer League, then maybe he could force Nico Harrison's hand into giving him a roster spot. With Summer League still going on, the Mavs are likely waiting to see how everything pans out before making a decision on what they want to do with this final roster spot.
Regardless of who they sign, the Mavs have the chance to get better with this move.
For all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks all offseason long, stay tuned.