5 Players on Mavericks Summer League team that could make regular season roster

The Dallas Mavericks' Summer League roster is hard at work in preparation for their trip to Las Vegas, as Dallas' Summer League squad is set to take on the Utah Jazz on Saturday evening in the first of four contests this Summer League for the Mavs.

Summer League may hardly be the highlight of this month for the Mavericks when you take into consideration that they just signed Klay Thompson, but that doesn't mean that the Mavericks can't find some talent in the cracks that could potentially help out their roster this coming season.

Just last year, Mavericks rookie sensation Dereck Lively II played for Dallas' Summer League team and then went on to play an integral role in Dallas' run to the NBA Finals, so Mavericks fans can get excited at the potential possibility of that happening with someone from this Summer League roster.

5 Players on Mavericks Summer League team that could make regular season roster

Summer League isn't a tell-all sign for how a player's entire career is going to fare out, but it certainly is a setting that can give fans an idea of how certain young players could look like in an NBA rotation once their skills develop further.

So without further ado, here are 5 players on the Mavericks Summer League team that could make their regular season 15-man roster or land a two-way spot.

5. Alex Fudge

After only playing in two games for the Dallas Mavericks on a two-way contract last season, Alex Fudge is one of the more unknown quantities for the Dallas Mavericks heading into this Summer League. At 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot wingspan, Fudge has the length and verticality to be an elite defender one day, but he needs to put on more size to consistently defend wings and bigs at an NBA level since he’s only 200 pounds.

Fudge flashed a solid 3-point stroke in his two games with the Mavericks at the end of the regular season, but he only shot a mere 21.4 percent on 3-pointers in 27 games played in the G-League this past season.

Fudge has a decent handle and solid coordination with the ball in his hands for someone his size, but by no means is he a polished enough shot-creator to take on a lead ball-handling role, even in Summer League most likely. At 21 years old and heading into his second year in the NBA after two collegiate seasons at Penn State and the University of Florida, Fudge is an extremely raw prospect, but his athleticism and spurts of aggression on drives should bode well for this Mavericks Summer League team.

If Fudge improves his shot and proves he can hang at the NBA level from a strength perspective during this Summer League, he could very well play himself into a guaranteed contract with the Mavericks before the beginning of next season, but he has a lot to prove if he wants to reach that feat.

4. Melvin Ajinca

Melvin Ajinca has the potential to eclipse some players in Dallas’ rotation next season if he develops at a fast enough rate, as the 6-foot-8 and 218 pound rookie out of France has already shown flashes of becoming a dynamic 3-and-D wing at the next level.

Ajinca has a unique skillset as a left-handed player at his frame, as he’s very good at attacking off of closeouts en route to finishing with finesse at the rim or pulling up for a mid-range jump-shot. He’s also a very polished catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter in terms of his mechanics, release time, and ability to get his feet set running off of flare and pin-down screens, though consistency and shot selection on 3-point attempts are certainly points of development for him to work on heading into his rookie season.

Ajinca is very skilled for his frame, but adding strength and athleticism will be essential for him if he wants to develop into a high-level role player on the NBA stage, as he could very well struggle with the strength and verticality of NBA rim protectors on attacks to the basket.

Ajinca also isn’t the lankiest guy in the world with his 6-foot-7.5 wingspan, so becoming bouncier and stronger could do wonders for his defensive game. Ajinca seems to have already impressed Mavericks Summer League coach Jared Dudley though, as Dudley spoke glowingly of Ajinca in a post-practice interview session a few days ago.

"He’s taller than me, he can handle and decision-make better, so I can see him doing a little bit of point forward. He’s a 6-8 lefty that can decision-make. I’m not going to say it’s unique, but it’s a high skill set to have in the NBA."

Jared Dudley

Dudley’s encouraging words about Ajinca could hint at Ajinca making Dallas’ final 15-man roster this coming fall or landing a two-way spot, as the No. 51 pick in this year’s draft could earn himself a guaranteed contract from Dallas if he performs well in Summer League, though he’ll need to work on some of the aforementioned intangibles this summer if he wants to ensure that.

3. Brandon Williams

Despite seeing limited game action at the NBA level last season, Brandon Williams proved that he could become an NBA-caliber guard with more consistency. Williams is an extremely crafty finisher and ball handler in space, and he’s very savvy at getting to his spots in the mid-range for pull-up jumpers.

At 6-foot-2, Williams isn’t the tallest or most lanky guard in the world by any means, but he competes at a high level defensively and has really solid foot-speed and lateral quickness. With Dallas’ need for another ball handler becoming more prevalent than ever, Williams could be the answer to that if he plays well in Summer League and is given a fair opportunity this coming fall, though he still has some things he needs to work on if he wants to lock up that role.

Williams has shown three-level scoring ability in the NBA G-League, but his 3-point shot off-the-dribble will have to become more consistent for him to secure a rotation spot for Dallas in the fall, as he projects more as a microwave scorer compared to a dynamic playmaker at this stage of his career.

Williams filled the box score up a few times for the Texas Legends last season and surprised people with his athleticism, so it isn’t a far fetch to say that he could find himself on Dallas’ final 15-man roster once training camp wraps up, especially since the Mavericks just gave Williams a two-way contract for next season.

At 24-years-old, Williams is one of the elder-statesmen on Dallas’ Summer League roster, but if he can take strides as a playmaker and 3-point shooter during this Summer League and coming training camp, he’s more than talented enough to make the Mavericks think twice about converting his two-way contract to a standard contract before the beginning of the regular season.

2. A.J. Lawson

Now entering his third Summer League in a row with the Dallas Mavericks, this may be A.J. Lawson’s final opportunity to cement himself as a candidate to make Dallas’ final roster in October. Lawson is currently signed to a non-guaranteed multi-year contract with Dallas, though his spot on the Mavericks looks shaky going forward if reports are true about the Mavericks looking to sign another ball handler and re-sign Markieff Morris.

However, if Lawson has a strong Summer League outing, he could certainly make Dallas’ front office turn their heads on that decision. At 6-foot-6, Lawson is a high-energy point-of-attack defender with elite quickness and length at the shooting guard position, though questions over his 3-point shot and lack of elite strength have kept him from getting extended opportunities with the Mavericks. Lawson fared well when he got opportunities to see the court last season for Dallas, and he fits in well with Dallas’ notion of wanting to push the pace in transition more.

After revamping his shot mechanics last season, Lawson shot the 3-ball at a very up-and-down clip in limited minutes at the NBA level last season, so honing in on his consistency there will be huge if he wants to crack Dallas’ 15-man rotation next season. Lawson’s below-average strength is something that haunted him more on drives to the rim in the NBA compared to the G-League, and it was also something that drew attention from a defensive standpoint when he was matched up against bigger-bodied wings last season as well.

With that being said, Lawson has uncanny athleticism and potential at almost 24-years-old, and perhaps he needed just one more offseason to mold into the extra shooter and point-of-attack defender that the Mavericks could desperately use.

If Lawson proves to have an efficient Summer League on both sides of the ball, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Dallas’ three-year project end up paying huge dividends for the team this coming season, even if he’s going to need to really stand out to warrant the opportunity.

1. Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Heading into the 2024 NBA Summer League, the Mavericks' main priority is to develop sophomore wing Olivier-Maxence Prosper into a role player by the genesis of next season. Prosper developed his offensive game handily last season both in the G League and with the Mavericks last season, as he already has tantalizing defensive attributes with his 6-foot-8 and 230-pound frame coupled with his 7-foot-1 wingspan.

Prosper has the tools and attitude to become an elite defender as well as someone who could potentially guard one-through-five on a consistent basis, so the Mavericks can’t be remiss in regards to recognizing how much potential Prosper has, as he could become a starting-level talent for years to come if he can become more confident attacking and shooting off of the catch.

Prosper will be one of the team leaders on this young Mavericks Summer League squad, as he’s slated to already be on Dallas’ roster next season with a guaranteed multi-year contract, so something would have to go terribly wrong at Summer League for Prosper to not be on Dallas’ main roster next season.

If Prosper can broaden his ball handling repertoire and add some drive-and-kick elements to his game during this Summer League as well, we may very well be witnessing a prelude to what we could be seeing from him in a Mavericks’ uniform next season, as he has the best chance out of anyone on this list to be in the Mavericks’ main rotation next year.

If reports about Prosper’s 3-ball drastically improving throughout the course of last season are true, Mavericks’ fans will certainly have something other than free agency signings to be excited for this July, as Prosper very well has the potential to be Dallas’ leading scorer during his second Summer League tenure.