Mavericks sign former viral 'Jelly Fam' sensation to one-year contract

The Dallas Mavericks are set to make some serious alterations to the roster this summer as they attempt to bounce back from their embarrassing finish to this past season.

The movement began on the night of the 2023 NBA Draft, as the Mavericks made two trades, both of which aimed to improve the overall state of their roster.

Dallas traded back from the 10th pick to the 12th, dumping Davis Bertans’ contract onto the Oklahoma City Thunder, and picking Duke’s Dereck Lively II. Then, they traded back into the first round, snagging Richaun Holmes from the Sacramento Kings and selecting Marquette’s Olivier-Maxence Prosper.

Both Lively and Prosper are set to play for the Mavericks’ Summer League team, and Dallas has been busy adding other guys to the roster, too, as Summer League will give them a great chance to look at some youngsters.

Guys like AJ Lawson and Mike Miles (who Dallas signed to a two-way already) will be on the team, but perhaps the most intriguing name is Jordan “Jelly” Walker.

Dallas Mavericks sign Jordan Walker, A.K.A "Jelly," to one-year contract; will appear in Summer league

Walker was a part of the viral social media group “Jelly Fam” which was popular around 2016. The group was famous for their impressive layups. Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid was associated with the group, too.

The 5-foot-11 point guard made a name for himself this way, as the group produced a number of viral videos making their crazy layups.

He went on to attend Seton Hall in 2017 but only spent one year there before transferring to Tulane for the 2019-20 season. But after two seasons there, Walker transferred to UAB for his final two years, finishing his final two collegiate seasons with the Blazers.

In his second and final season with the Blazers this past year, Walker appeared in 33 games, playing 33.5 minutes per contest. He averaged 22.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game on 40.3% shooting from the field and 37.8% shooting from behind the three-point line (on 10.8 three-point attempts per game).

The 23-year-old finished fifth in the nation in scoring this past season and made the third-most three-pointers of any player as well. He broke out into a star during his time at UAB.

Walker has reportedly signed a one-year deal with the Mavericks, per Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT, but it is unknown what the details of the contract are. It could be a standard deal, Exhibit-10, or a two-way contract.

Dallas’ glutton of guards (Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Jaden Hardy) could make it hard for Walker to find any sort of role on the Mavericks, and at 5-foot-11, his defensive limitations are obvious.

However, having him on the Summer League roster will be a treat, as Jelly’s on-court antics will be very fun to watch. At the very least, Walker is an extremely talented guard who will undoubtedly be putting on a show this summer.