Report: Mavericks planning to waive 3-time NBA Champion center

Noah Weber

Sacramento Kings v Dallas Mavericks / Ron Jenkins/GettyImages

The Dallas Mavericks thought they made a great move last summer when they signed JaVale McGee to a three-year, $20.1 million deal.

He was coming off a great playoff run with the Phoenix Suns, and the Mavs needed a rim-protecting big badly. The signing seemed promising, but it quickly fell apart.

McGee lost his starting spot in less than a month, and was not playing good basketball. By the end of the season, he was nearly unplayable.

Report: Mavericks planning to waive 3-time NBA Champion center

Towards the beginning of the offseason, it was reported that the Mavericks were looking to trade McGee. This came as a surprise to no one as he was unplayable down the stretch, and his contract was awful. Reports came out that they were even willing to go to the extent of waiving him if they couldn't find a trade partner.

This report likely killed his minimal trade value, as Dallas likely had no leverage when trying to trade him, as teams knew that Dallas would eventually release him if they couldn't move him.

This original report was confirmed today, as Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that the Mavs plan to stretch-and-waive McGee. Charania also stated that Dallas has to get this done by next week.

McGee's second stint in Dallas was an obvious failure, and now he will have a chance to prove his worth elsewhere as he will become a free agent once he is waived. This move was necessary by Dallas, as all of the minutes at center will likely be occupied by Dwight Powell, Richaun Holmes, Dereck Lively II, and Maxi Kleber.

McGee wouldn't have had a role on the team, and Dallas made the smart decision of stretch-and-waiving him.

We'll have you covered with all the latest news and rumors surrounding the Dallas Mavericks this summer, so stay tuned.

Noah Weber

Noah Weber is the Site Expert for The Smoking Cuban, covering the Dallas Mavericks as a credentialed media member since the 2022-23 season. With a Bachelor of Science in Sports Media from Oklahoma State University, Noah has worked in sports journalism since 2019. While he's covered the Dallas Cowboys and Oklahoma State Cowboys, he has now established himself as a go-to voice for Mavericks coverage. Noah's expertise includes in-depth game analysis, social media content creation, and offering unique perspectives through his reporting. His work has been featured on major platforms such as ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Overtime. During his time at Oklahoma State, Noah won first place in the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association Awards for a show he co-produced. Outside of covering the Mavs, Noah enjoys working out, playing basketball and Spikeball, and spending quality time with friends and family.