3 Risers, 2 fallers from the Dallas Mavericks' NBA Summer League stint

The Dallas Mavericks have addressed practically all of their needs this summer, as Dallas hauled in their last essential rotation piece by bringing back guard Spencer Dinwiddie on a one-year deal on Monday.

Dinwiddie will be able to provide capable ball handling and playmaking off the bench for the Mavericks, and he’s a player that can thrive alongside other shot creators on the court as well.

Of course, there’s obviously the possibility that Dinwiddie or other Mavericks role players don’t perform up to expectations this coming season, hence why it is essential that Dallas’ developmental players be ready if their name is called upon.

3 Risers, 2 fallers from the Dallas Mavericks' NBA Summer League stint

Dallas just wrapped up NBA 2K25 Summer League, and while there were a lot of encouraging signs and moments from some of Dallas’ pool of recent draft selections and two-way contract players, there were also some players who didn’t perform to the level that fans had hoped for.

At the end of the day though, how Dallas’ Summer League roster performed should be taken with a grain of salt given the fact that Summer League tends to be more of a hectic environment and is such a small sample size to nitpick.

However, there are still players from Dallas’ Summer League roster who could very well play a solid role for the team next season if certain things fall into place. Here are three risers and two fallers from the Mavericks' five Summer League games in Las Vegas.

5. Riser - A.J. Lawson

A.J. Lawson's third Summer League stint with the Dallas Mavericks was arguably his best one yet, as Lawson stepped up as a driver and finisher in a secondary ball handler role for the Mavericks in Las Vegas. Lawson had a rough go shooting the ball from distance in a few of Dallas' Summer League contests and finished shooting only 30.8 percent from outside in five games, but his makes were impressive, as he was often coming off-the-move and off-the-catch on many of his attempts.

Lawson's confidence on offense improved steadily through each game in Summer League, and though he didn't showcase that his ball handling and playmaking abilities are at an elite level yet, it's definitely apparent that he's getting more adapt at using his athleticism and quickness to catch defenders off guard in one-on-one scenarios.

Lawson still has the potential to become a high level 3-and-D role player who specializes at defending the point-of-attack, and he showcased in Las Vegas that his length and athleticism can be tantalizing for opponents when he blitzes ball screens in a timely manner, as many of those instances often led to Lawson finishing with a high-flying slam in transition on the other end.

Around more dynamic NBA playmakers and floor spacers, Lawson may have an opportunity to to let his athletic tools and energy flourish for the Mavericks this coming season in a role off the bench, but he still has some tough odds to overcome even after finishing Summer League on a solid note. Lawson may have his last opportunity this coming training camp to solidify a spot in Dallas after signing a non-guaranteed contract last season, so he'll likely need to prove that his outside shot is legit if he wants to continue his momentum from Summer League onto the court for the Mavericks this coming fall.

4. Faller - Melvin Ajinca

After starting off Dallas' Summer League slate by showcasing his versatility on both ends against the Utah Jazz, Melvin Ajinca experienced some growing pains throughout the remaining four games in Las Vegas for the Mavericks. Dallas' recent No. 51 overall selection had flashes of being able to attack closeouts for crafty finishes as well as creating his own shot in the mid-range, but Ajinca struggled mightily to establish any sort of consistency shooting the ball from the field as he finished shooting 29.5 percent from the field in Las Vegas.

Ajinca has an impressive skillset for his size without a doubt, but it was clear that his shot selection could use some work and that he could serve to add a little muscle to his frame.

Ajinca also showed that his quickness at his 6-foot-8 frame could prove troublesome for opposing NBA ball handlers in the future, and he proved that he wasn't a terrible off-ball defender in Las Vegas as well, but he clearly will have to add more strength and establish more stout positioning if he wants to mold himself into an NBA level wing-defender.

The writing is on the wall for Ajinca to become a more polished product on both sides of the ball when you take into consideration how skilled he is already at only 20-years-old, but it was clear that his offensive decision making and defense have to be much more consistent if he wants to see an NBA floor at any time in the near future.

Perhaps Ajinca can help Dallas in the 2025-26 season and beyond, as he's officially a draft-and-stash after having signed a contract with the French squad ASVEL Basket on Tuesday.

3. Riser - Jazian Gortman

Possibly the most surprising candidate to make this list is none other than 21-year-old guard Jazian Gortman. After playing only a combined 16 minutes in Dallas' first two Summer League contests, Gortman pounced on an opportunity to take hold of the starting point guard role for Dallas' Summer League team in their remaining three games in Las Vegas after guard Brandon Williams missed the last three games due to an injury.

Gortman has a quick trigger from outside and showed that he can make some tough off-the-dribble shots from downtown at a fairly efficient clip for Dallas in Summer League, as he shot 10-20 on 3-point field goals throughout five Summer League contests.

In the same vein as Williams, Gortman is extremely shifty and fast in his ability to get to the rim, though he's probably not of the same caliber as a playmaker or finisher as Williams is.

Gortman also proved that his 6-foot-2 frame wasn't something that would have any negative side effects on his defensive game, as he competed at an extremely high level defending the point-of-attack and was able to generate some steals by out-hustling opposing offensive players. After some efficient shooting games in a lead ball handling role in Summer League, it was clear that Dallas' decision to extend a training camp invite to Gortman has proven to be a solid one.

However, Gortman will need to improve his passing and pace in the half-court if he wants to make Dallas' main roster or as a two-way contract player this coming training camp, as guard spots won't be in abundance after Williams signed a two-way contract before Summer League started and the Mavericks inked Spencer Dinwiddie to a one-year deal as well recently.

2. Faller - Olivier-Maxence Prosper

While many Mavericks fans were hoping that Olivier-Maxence Prosper would have a true coming out party at NBA 2K25 Summer League, Prosper unfortunately wasn't able to hit his stride offensively for most of Summer League.

Prosper was tasked with initiating Dallas' offense throughout certain stretches this past Summer League, and he struggled to get to his spots in the half-court at times and didn't diversify his finishing repertoire at the rim enough to finish through contact oftentimes.

Prosper stayed true to his brand by playing great defense on opposing wings throughout Summer League, but he struggled at times defending out of position and wasn't able to convert on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers at the rate that Mavericks fans would have hoped for after Prosper worked tirelessly on his shot throughout all of last season.

We can obviously recognize that Summer League isn't a tell-all for how a player is going to play in the coming season, but Mavericks fans would have hoped to have seen for more development in Prosper's offensive repertoire during this past Summer League, especially if his defense isn't elite enough yet to transcend the limitations on his offensive game.

Obviously there were still some encouraging signs at Summer League for Prosper, as he rebounded well for the most part and showcased some improved playmaking ability off of drives. He even flashed some of the offensive versatility Mavericks fans were hoping for when he had a 22-point three-level scoring performance on 8-14 shooting in Dallas' fourth Summer League contest against the Boston Celtics.

Prosper looked extremely confident with the ball in his hands in that game, something that can't necessarily be said for his other Summer League performances in this past trip to Las Vegas, so hopefully he's able to harness more of that confidence ahead of the Mavericks' training camp this coming September when you take into consideration that he has the easiest path toward making a key impact for the Mavericks next season out of anyone on this list.

1. Riser - Brandon Williams

Even though he only played in two Summer League contests, Brandon Williams definitely improved his stock for the Dallas Mavericks in NBA Summer League this July. Williams flashed the same three-level scoring dynamism in Summer League that he showcased in G-League competition this past season for the Texas Legends, as the 24-year-old guard scored 32 points in only 52 minutes of action throughout this past Summer League.

Williams was given another two-way contract by Dallas right before Summer League started, and he made Dallas' decision to add another guard on one of their two-way slots look like a righteous one during his brief action in Summer League. Even though Williams had some turnover woes in his two Summer League contests, part of which can be explained by him being one of the only true ball handlers on Dallas' Summer League roster, he did a fantastic job at using his ball handling and pacing in pick-and-roll scenarios to get to the rim for acrobatic finishes.

Williams also showed flashes of the solid playmaking that we saw from him in the G League and in limited action with the Mavericks this past season during Summer League as well, as he used his speed and athleticism well to find the open man when he was trapped despite his 6-foot-1 frame. Even though it's an extremely small sample size, Williams went 3-7 from distance while in Las Vegas, including some tough off-the-dribble 3-pointers, so he'll definitely need to continue that consistency heading into next season if he wants to help the Mavericks on the court at all.

While he didn't play a lot in Summer League, Williams continued to prove he's one of Dallas best young guards in their developmental pool through his elite level finishing, steady playmaking, and high level point-of-attack defense for his size.

Williams solidified himself a two-way spot on the Mavericks next season, but his consistency from deep as well as a fair opportunity will make or break his chances at cracking Dallas' main rotation at some point next season.