With just five games left before the Dallas Mavericks' regular season comes to a close, the team is making a strong effort to gain home-court advantage in the first round of the Play-In Tournament. With the Sacramento Kings falling down the standings, Dallas has been left with a game-and-a-half cushion for the ninth seed in the Western Conference.
Assuming the Mavericks snag possession of the ninth seed before the regular season ends, they should be with Dereck Lively II if all things go according to plan over the next few weeks, as he returned to the lineup last night and looked healthy as ever. Not only does Lively II bring much-needed energy on both ends of the floor, but Daniel Gafford also made his long-awaited return to the hardwood after playing against the Brooklyn Nets earlier this week.
With Dallas getting healthy right before the playoffs tip-off, this will ultimately strip minutes away from players who have stepped up over the last few months due to all of the injuries, and Nico Harrison is going to have to make some hard roster decisions.
Kidd's decision to bench surging center exposes Mavericks' true feelings
Two-way center Kai Jones is one name who has stepped up largely and made his presence known since signing with Dallas; However, after seeing a drop in minutes on Wednesday night, it could reveal his future with the team isn't as bright as fans initially expected. Fans expected that Jones would be the one to be signed to Dallas' final roster spot due to his breakout stretch, but Kidd's minutes distribution says otherwise when it comes to the team's needs.
Jones was a surprising two-way addition in the middle of the season. The former first-round pick hasn't just wowed Mavericks fans; he has made a name for himself as a legit rotational center on any team in the league.
Despite flying around the rim and impressing many with his crazy bounce and ability to eliminate shots at the rim, Jones may be a name left off the Mavericks' playoff roster. Due to Jones being a two-way player, he can't be on the playoff roster. In order to keep him, it would require Dallas to use their final roster spot on him (which they can fill on April 10) or cut Dante Exum to make room for him and another player, and both scenarios seem unlikely at this point.
This not only seems like a move that may be too late in the making, being that the regular season ends in less than two weeks, but Jason Kidd giving Jones reduced minutes in Wednesday night's win over the Atlanta Hawks should be a hint at the Mavericks' intentions with Jones. He only played two minutes, and this comes after Kidd has been heavily using him over the last few weeks.
With five games left in the season, Kidd may be more inclined to bolster up the playoff minutes for players who will be available to play, and now that Anthony Davis, Lively II, and Gafford are back, Jones isn't needed as much. Dallas needs more guard and wing depth than they need center depth, and that's why Brandon Williams or Kessler Edwards would be a better fit for the final roster spot. Even if Harrison decides to waive Exum, it seems much more likely that the Mavs would sign both Williams and Edwards over Jones.
Jones will no doubt become a sought-after free agent in the offseason after becoming a serviceable big for the Mavericks during their injury spell if he doesn't get signed to a standard deal later this month. Jones doesn't just bring youth and athleticism but much-needed energy to any team.
With the Mavericks in search of answers in the offseason, Jones may be a name the team brings back, and he would have a much better shot at making the final roster this summer than he does right now. Fans would be ecstatic if the Mavericks could find a way to have Edwards, Jones, and Williams all on standard deals before next season begins, and we'll have you covered with all the latest.