The Mavericks’ 2026 NBA Summer League start has gone sideways fast, and Saturday’s loss to the Lakers only sharpened the concerns. Dallas fell to 0-2 after a game in which Los Angeles was missing first-round pick Cameron Carr, yet still looked more organized when it mattered. The Lakers also had just three players on the floor with NBA contracts - Adou Thiero, Chris Manon, and AK Okereke - while Dallas had six such players in Ryan Nembhard, Sergio De Larrea, John Poulakidas, Tobi Lawal, Tyler Smith, and Morez Johnson Jr., plus second-round pick Vsevolod Ishchenko.
The problem for Dallas wasn’t just the final result. The Mavericks got tangled up in the Lakers’ zone and managed only 26 points in the second half. That kind of offensive stall is hard to ignore, even in July.
Ryan Nembhard’s rough start is becoming impossible to overlook. He finished tied for the lowest plus/minus for the second straight game, and this time the box score was even less forgiving.
After opening against the Golden State Warriors with 15 points and 11 assists, he shot 6/15 from the field and 1/6 from three while finishing at -16. Against the Lakers, he put up 12 points, 5 assists, and 5 turnovers on 3/11 shooting, went perfect at the line, and ended at -22.
At this point, he doesn’t look ready for a primary rotation role next season.
Morez Johnson Jr. was the bright spot on the defensive end again. He blocked four shots and picked off two steals, following up a first game that featured five stocks.
His offense was quieter - 10 points on 4/8 shooting - but that’s not the part of his game that’s going to get him noticed first. Dallas could use more rhythm touches for him and Sergio De Larrea, though De Larrea hasn’t had a strong showing either.
Jaden Springer’s Summer League stint was another reminder of how far his stock has fallen. Once the 28th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, then the G-League Finals MVP in 2023, and later enough of a prospect for the Boston Celtics to trade a second-round pick for him in 2024, he looked out of place here. He was repeatedly lost on defense, scored just 2 points, and the only other thing he logged was a turnover.
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The move is mostly procedural at this point, since Dudley has been out of the playing ranks for years and has long since moved into coaching. Still, it formally severs the last contractual tie between him and the Lakers, which is the kind of transaction that barely registers around the league but can catch the eye when a former Mavericks assistant shows up in the fine print. [Read more 🡒]