4 former Dallas Mavericks thriving elsewhere, 4 struggling this season

3. Thriving: JaVale McGee

During the 2022 offseason, the Dallas Mavericks signed JaVale McGee to a three-year deal worth over $20 million.

Dallas hadn't had a solid starting center in multiple seasons, and McGee was brought in to be Dallas' new defensive anchor and starting big. McGee had a previous stint in Dallas a few seasons before, and bringing him back didn't look to be a big adjustment.

Despite the high expectations and excitement for McGee, he struggled as a Maverick. He lost his starting center spot within a month and was a massive liability on the court.

One of Dallas' main goals during the offseason was to get rid of McGee's contract, and although they tried to trade him, no one ever made a move for him. Dallas ended up having to waive him, and he later signed with the Sacramento Kings.

Since being with the Kings, McGee has been much better than he was in Dallas. He is averaging 6.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 65.9 percent from the field. McGee is making an impact coming off the Kings bench, and brings great energy.

McGee having this much of a bounce-back start to the season isn't something that many people expected, and a change of scenery has helped him return to being a serviceable big man in the NBA.