The Dallas Mavericks’ wing battle got a lot tighter on Tuesday morning.
Dallas announced it had signed 6-foot-7 forward Matt Cross, pushing the preseason roster to 21 players and giving him a real shot to appear in the team’s final two exhibition games against the New Orleans Pelicans and Atlanta Hawks this week. For a group already juggling multiple wings in the mix, the move adds another name to an already crowded race.
At the moment, John Poulakidas, Jett Howard, and Tobi Lawal occupy the Mavericks’ three two-way slots. Seth Lundy and Cross are both eligible for two-way contracts, which means Dallas could still shuffle things around if it decides one of Howard, Lawal, or Poulakidas doesn’t belong in the final three. Those deals are easy to move off of, so some turnover here would hardly be a shock.
Every player in this battle lives on the wing, and Dusty May could wind up simply choosing the best three options. Lawal looks like the safest bet to stick, especially since he was drafted by Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz earlier this summer, and Howard was also brought in by the new front office.
That leaves Poulakidas in a trickier spot. He’s the only current two-way player not brought in by the new group, which makes his hold on the job less certain. Add in the fact that he was a DNP-CD in the Mavericks’ second preseason game over the weekend, and the door is open for a real fight among Poulakidas, Lundy, and Cross for one remaining slot.
Cross doesn’t bring exactly the same package as the other two. Like Poulakidas and Lundy, he can knock down 3-pointers, but his value runs deeper than that.
He’s a hard-nosed rebounder, plays with obvious energy, and adds the kind of connective presence that teams always like around a star. He’s the sort of player who can pop for a big stat line once in a while, but most of his influence comes through effort, timing, and doing the little things that help a team win.
Last season with the Texas Legends, Cross averaged 6.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.7 steals per game while shooting 50 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from beyond the arc. He also already knows the organization, after spending a season at SMU and then landing on Dallas’ Summer League team last summer.
What makes him especially intriguing is the blend he brings. Cross gives the Mavericks offensive rebounding, strength, motor, and physicality in a way they don’t really have elsewhere on the roster. He can also pop as a pick-and-pop shooter and shows enough defensive awareness to matter at that end too, all at 25 years old.
His path to the regular-season roster is still uncertain, but Dallas just made its wing competition more interesting. If Cross strings together a couple of strong preseason outings, he could turn this late opening into his first NBA roster spot.
In Other News...
Mavericks Keep Giving One Young Big Man Another Look
The Mavericks have spent the early part of camp cycling through the back end of their preseason roster, and the 21st spot has become a revolving door for a string of young players. Dallas has signed and waived Matt Cross, Darin Green Jr. and Chris Mantis along the way, a pretty clear sign the team is keeping its options open while sorting through developmental depth.
Jorge Diaz Graham is the latest big man to get another look, and there is at least some indication the Mavericks want to keep him around for a while. The broader picture is familiar for this time of year: Dallas is auditioning prospects, while other teams are making similar housekeeping moves, including the Clippers bringing back Fletcher Loyer on an Exhibit 10 deal and the Jazz opening a spot after waiving Mohamed Wague. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Gave This Stretch Big A Real Chance To Earn More
The Mavericks gave Jorge Diaz Graham a real look this preseason, signing the stretch big and assigning him jersey No. 23 after he spent summer with the team. He had already shown enough in Las Vegas to keep himself in the conversation, flashing shooting touch and the kind of forward-center versatility that can make a young big useful in a modern rotation.
Now the challenge gets sharper with only the final two preseason games left to make another impression. Diaz Graham is still competing against the rest of the camp bodies for limited opportunities, but there is at least a path to a two-way contract if he can keep standing out in the minutes he gets. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Face A Risky Dereck Lively Decision They Can't Ignore
The Mavericks have an important front-office call looming on Dereck Lively II, the promising 2023 first-round pick whose defensive upside has already made him a meaningful part of the teams long-term picture. Lively has battled through injuries and multiple surgeries, which has complicated what might otherwise be a straightforward extension decision for a young center the organization still believes in.
ESPNs Bobby Marks outlined one possible way to split the difference, suggesting a shorter-term structure that protects Dallas if the health questions linger while still rewarding Lively for what he has shown. The idea reflects the basic tension here: the Mavericks want to keep a valuable piece in place, but they also have to weigh availability as carefully as talent, and for now the final shape of that deal remains unresolved. [Read more 🡒]