Mavericks Waive Three Players, Sign Two Guards, and Eye Two-Way Deal for Jazian Gortman

Dallas Mavericks waive three players, sign guards Jamir Chaplin and Jarod Lucas, and are expected to fill a two-way slot with standout Jazian Gortman.

Oct 18, 2024

DALLAS — After wrapping up the preseason with a blowout victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, the Dallas Mavericks announced they waived three players, including A.J. Lawson, Jamarion Sharp, and Emmanuel Miller on Friday.

The decision to waive Lawson, who recently was waived from a standard contract to place him on a two-way deal, now re-opens a two-way contract slot. Lawson is not expected to be brought back on a new contract with the Mavericks organization.

Gortman to Sign Two-Way Contract?

With Jazian Gortman being a preseason standout, he is expected to sign a two-way contract with the Mavericks soon. He averaged 10.3 points and 2.0 assists while shooting 51.6% from the floor and 57.1% from beyond the arc. He tailed only Jaden Hardy and Kyrie Irving in points per game.

During preseason, Gortman set out to be a pesky defender who didn’t turn the ball over, made good decisions, and knocked down open shots. "I just want to show how pesky I am on both ends, taking care of the ball, making good reads, and whenever I’m open, just shooting it,” Gortman said. “That’s been my main goal, and I feel like it’s been going pretty well. I always want to get better by 1% every day."

After Thursday’s preseason finale, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd praised Gortman for the progression he’s achieved since having a “terrible” Summer League in July. “He was terrible in Summer League, and I’m just telling you the truth,” Kidd said of Gortman. “But he’s put in the time and worked extremely hard.”

With how important consistency is in the NBA among role players, Gortman made clear it’s a priority for him to achieve it. "First, you just gotta pay attention to the details and carry them out,” Gortman detailed. “All the little things have to be second nature. Being consistent is one of the biggest things in the NBA. Can you do it one night? Can you do it again?"

Sharp Made ‘Massive Jump’

It’s possible that Sharp or Miller could end up playing with the Texas Legends, the Mavericks’ G League affiliate. Kidd praised Sharp, the 7-foot-5 center, describing him as having made a “massive jump” since the Summer League.

“Our Exhibit 10s and two-way players have been great all camp, likely getting more playing time than expected because of injuries. They’ve taken full advantage of it,” Kidd said. “Sharp, in particular, has made a massive jump from Summer League to now, and that’s a credit to him and my coaching staff, who have put in the time both morning and night. He’s great to work with, and he loves to be coached. You can see his growth.”

Mavericks Sign Two Guards

The Mavericks announced signings of guards Jamir Chaplin and Jarod Lucas on Friday. The moves are made for the sake of adding talent for their G League affiliate. Markieff Morris, who is on an Exhibit 9 deal, is still expected to be signed to a standard contract in the near future.

Chaplin, a 6-foot-5 guard, finished his college career at Arkansas-Little Rock, averaging 14.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 2023-24 after four seasons at South Florida. Lucas, a 6-foot-4 guard, averaged 17.4 points over two seasons at Nevada following three years at Oregon State. He went undrafted in 2024 but impressed with the Mavericks' Summer League squad, averaging 7.5 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 13.3 minutes.

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