Dallas Mavericks move on from young wing without giving him a real shot

With only a few weeks until training camp in Las Vegas for the Dallas Mavericks, the Mavericks look like they've officially rounded out their 21-man roster for training camp. After a slight dilemma as to who would be getting the last roster spot for the Mavericks, Dallas is bringing back A.J. Lawson and Markieff Morris on non-guaranteed deals, so it seems likely that Dallas will make a decision on who they want to move forward with for their last spot after training camp.

Dallas is also bringing some players into camp on Exhibit 10 deals who will have the chance to compete for the Mavericks' last two-way contract slot, so needless to say the competition will be immense throughout training camp for players trying to snag a two-way deal or even Dallas' last roster spot.

One player who would've been a candidate to compete in training camp for one of those last two spots is none other than 6-foot-8 wing Greg Brown III, as the 23-year-old's player rights from the Texas Legends were recently traded to the Mexico City Capitanes in exchange for Phil Wheeler and a 2025 second-round pick in the NBA G League Draft.

Mavericks punt on Greg Brown III before giving him a real opportunity

Brown III was on a two-way contract with the Mavericks last season, and while he only appeared in six games for Dallas, he had some extremely efficient performances for the Texas Legends last season. Brown III flashed his immense athleticism and defensive potential in a few limited opportunities with the Mavericks as well, particularly in a few games earlier in the season, though most of his minutes came in garbage time.

After Brown III didn't suit up for Dallas' Summer League team this past July though, it started to become readily apparent that he didn't seem to be in Dallas' future plans in any capacity. This has obviously been verified by the fact that Brown III's G-League player rights were traded to Mexico City, but there's an argument to be made that Dallas is giving up on Brown III a little too early.

It goes without saying that Brown III never got a real chance to even sniff Dallas' main rotation last season, even though there were a few instances throughout the season where his defensive versatility at the power forward position definitely could've been helpful, as Dallas was depleted at that position with Maxi Kleber missing nearly half the season due to injury.

Brown III's otherworldly athleticism was on display in a few instances for the Mavericks during garbage time, though he thrived with the Legends in the G League more than anything. In 37 games with the Legends last season, Brown averaged 17.6 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game, and 2.9 blocks per game, as well as career-best shooting splits of 57.4/29.5/67.5.

Brown III was a very effective slasher for the Legends last season and showcased the ability to guard two through five on a consistent basis at the G League level, and he looked like he saw increased development from a strength perspective last season as well.

Brown III was one of the best rim protectors and defenders in the G League last season, so while his outside shooting efficiency isn't the best, it's a bit puzzling as to why Dallas didn't extend him an opportunity to come to Summer League or training camp this season. Hopefully, Brown III is able to find a role elsewhere in the NBA this coming season, as he played great for the Legends last season and only just turned 23 years old a couple of weeks ago.