Top 5 players in Dallas Mavericks Summer League history

The NBA offseason is off and rolling, and the Dallas Mavericks have been very active as they attempt to improve their roster after a disappointing end to this past season.

Dallas failed to even qualify for the Play-In Tournament, and all the moves they’ve made this summer have been with the goal of getting back into the playoffs in mind.

The Mavericks re-signed Kyrie Irving, signed Seth Curry and Dante Exum in free agency, traded for Grant Williams and Richaun Holmes, and drafted Dereck Lively II and Olivier-Maxence Prosper.

Those last two points are the most intriguing right now, as both Lively and Prosper have skillsets that will allow them to make an immediate impact on the Mavericks.

Lively is a 7-foot-1 center who is a monster in the paint on defense and has amazing athleticism, and the same points can be made for the 6-foot-8 Prosper, who uses his athleticism to be a menace on the defensive end.

Both players will get a chance to show off their play in Summer League, and Dallas will also have the opportunity to look at some other young talent (detailed here in a full breakdown of the roster).

But with Summer League upon us, an intriguing question presents itself - who are the best Mavericks Summer League players of all time? Are they current NBA players or guys who faded out and are no longer active?

Let’s take a look at the history of Dallas’ Summer League and pick out the 10 best Summer League guys in the team’s history.

More Articles About Mavericks History:

5. Dwight Powell

A name Dallas Mavericks fans are extremely familiar with, Dwight Powell was a steady face in Summer League for Dallas throughout the years, and he’s become that same steady face for the Mavericks.

Powell played six games for the Mavericks’ Summer League team in the 2015-16 season (after spending three games with the Cleveland Cavaliers Summer League squad the year prior).

During his time in Summer League, Powell solidified himself as the all-time leader in a couple of different categories for Dallas’ Summer League team.

He is the all-time leader in minutes per game, as he played 32.3 minutes per contest, as well as the all-time leader in rebounds at 9.2 per contest. In his six appearances, Powell averaged 18.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. The big man shot 42.9% from the field.

Oddly enough, Powell also took a lot of three-point shots during his Summer League tenure. He shot 26.5% from deep on a ridiculous 8.2 three-point attempts per game. It’s the most three-pointers per game attempted by any player in Mavericks Summer League history.

Obviously, that part of his game has been phased out throughout his time in the NBA, but he’s been a constant face in Dallas for years, providing them quality minutes at the center position.

4. Bernard James

Now this is a name some Dallas Mavericks fans may not have thought about for a long, long time. Bernard James played for three years in the NBA (2012-2015), all for Dallas, but during that time, he carved out an impressive Summer League resume.

James appeared in Summer League in all three seasons he was in the NBA, totaling 10 appearances by the time his career was through, playing 25.8 minutes per contest.

In those appearances, the 6-foot-10 big man put up 10.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game on 58.9% shooting from the floor. He didn’t attempt any three.

But what lands him on this list of those were his stats? Well, the defensive performance he put on. James averaged 1.5 steals and 2.2 blocks per game throughout his 10 appearances, showing out on the defensive side of the ball.

Unfortunately, James’ success during Summer League didn’t quite translate to success in the NBA. In his three seasons in Dallas, James only appeared in 92 games, playing 8.3 minutes per game.

His defensive presence translated a little bit, as he averaged 0.8 steals and 2.9 blocks per 36 minutes, but the Mavericks certainly wish his play in the NBA lived up to how solid he was in Summer League.

3. Josh Akognon

One of the most obscure players on this list, Josh Akognon only played in three NBA games in his career, but all were for the Dallas Mavericks during the 2012-13 season.

He played in his fair share of G League games with the then Cleveland Charge and Delaware 87ers, and he had some success, but his time with the Dallas Mavericks’ Summer League squad was solid.

Akognon is a 5-foot-11 point guard, so his obvious height disadvantage put him in a tough spot from the jump, but he overcame that during his Summer League appearances.

The point guard appeared in six Summer League games for the Mavericks during the 2014-15 season after playing in three Summer League games for the Sacramento Kings in the season prior.

In his six appearances with the Mavericks, Akognon played 26.1 minutes per contest, averaging 17.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game and shooting 41.8% from the field.

His three-point shooting was his most impressive attribute, though. Akognon attempted 7.7 three-point shots per game and shot 39.% from behind the three-point arc.

Again, Akognon wasn’t able to turn his summer success into an NBA career, but his time with Dallas’ Summer League squad was certainly fun.

2. Cameron Payne

While he only appeared in three total games for the Dallas Mavericks in Summer League, Cameron Payne looked incredible in his short time with the squad.

After a one-break from Summer League, Payne played in the 2019-20 season as he attempted to make an NBA comeback, as it felt as though he was fading out of the league.

Well, his play with the Mavericks’ Summer League team certainly helped with that, as he scored in bunches. He’s the team’s all-time leading Summer League scorer.

In his three appearances, played 28.9 minutes per game, averaging 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.7 steals per contest on 51.4% shooting from the floor and 45.8% shooting from beyond the arc (on 8.0 three-point attempts per game).

After his brief stint with the Mavs Summer League squad, Payne emerged as a key rotation piece on the Phoenix Suns during their run to the 2021 NBA Finals.

And in the two seasons since then, he’s played over 20 minutes a game and averaged over 10 points per game. It’s been a solid road back for Payne, and his play with Dallas earns him an easy place on this list.

1. Jonathan Gibson

During his time with the Dallas Mavericks Summer League team, Jonathan Gibson made headlines because of his wild journey to getting a chance at being in the NBA.

Gibson appeared in Summer League for Dallas during the 2016-17 season as a 28-year-old. He had some prior Summer League experience, but he was never able to turn heads.

But after a successful stint in China’s basketball league, the CBA, Gibson came back over and found a ton of success with the Mavericks.

The fact that he was able to earn another opportunity so late in his career was impressive enough, but the fact that Gibson played as well as he did was another feat entirely.

In his six Summer League appearances for Dallas, Gibson played 24.9 minutes per contest. He averaged 17.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Gibson shot a blistering-hot 50.7% from the field and 45.9% from behind the three-point line.

Gibson used his Summer League success to springboard his career and earn an opportunity with the Mavericks. He only appeared in 17 games for Dallas during the 2016-17 season and four games with the Boston Celtics in the 2017-18 season.