Mavericks sign Marquese Chriss with hardship exception: What does he bring?

The Dallas Mavericks need to add replacement players after Reggie Bullock and Josh Green entered the league’s health and safety protocols over the weekend. They were forced to play with just 11 players on Sunday night in Minnesota as the team is dealing with multiple injuries as well.

The Mavericks signed Theo Pinson on Dec. 19 via the hardship exception to replace one of their two players in the health and safety protocols, and they add Marquese Chriss to fill the other spot on Monday afternoon, according to Chris Haynes.

Chriss is a young talented big man that could see a significant role if Kristaps Porzingis is forced to miss time with a foot injury. What does the 24-year-old bring to Dallas?

Dallas Mavericks sign Marquese Chriss: What does he bring?

Chriss was the eighth overall draft pick in 2016, but he struggled to find a consistent role in the NBA. He played in every game as a rookie, but his games played and minutes have slipped every year. Chriss played in just two games last season before being traded and waived three times since the start of 2020.

During the 2019-2020 season, the 6’9 forward averaged 9.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.1 blocks in 20.3 minutes per game, where he shot 54.5 percent from the field and 76.9 percent on his free throws.

Chriss was a free agent and was not even playing the G League, so it will be interesting to see what his conditioning looks like as he joins the Mavericks. He will be eligible to play on Tuesday night as Dallas hosts the Timberwolves. The 24-year-old does not stretch the floor, but he has plenty of athleticism and has been an above-league-average roll man in recent years.

Chriss also had a dust-up with Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic during a game back in 2019, so it will be interesting to see how the two play together, if Doncic returns from his ankle injury.

The Dallas Mavericks have some depth at the five, so it will not be easy for Marquese Chriss to crack the rotation. If he can protect the rim and hold his own on the defensive end, head coach Jason Kidd could rely on him to play a role. Stay tuned to see how Chriss performs and for all the latest on the team.