DeJuan Blair will be taking his talents north next season after signing a one-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday. ESPN's Marc Stein originally reported that the two sides were in serious talks, but Blair later tweeted confirmation on what's widely expected to be a one-year deal.
DeJuan Blair signs 1-year contract with Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks have added a bruising backup to their stable of bigs.
USA TODAY Sports
The Dallas Mavericks are only eligible to sign free agents to the veteran's minimum and it sounds like that'll be what Blair makes next season. HOOPSWORLD's Alex Kennedy says initially heard some rumblings that the San Antonio Spurs might send Blair to Dallas via a sign-and-trade, but it's more likely that the Mavs locked him up with a one-year deal.
The acquisition of Blair could be a very good one for Dallas after missing out on marquee big men like Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum this offseason, but there's no guarantee he makes a splash for the Mavs this season. Blair will likely be competing for minutes with returners Brandan Wright and Bernard James along with fellow free agent signing Samuel Dalembert as they all try to complement Dirk Nowitzki.
The 6’7, 265-pound bruising big man looked to be a steal early in his career with the Spurs, but fell out of favor this past season. The Pittsburgh product averaged just 5.4 points and 14 minutes per game despite getting the call for 16 spot starts early in the season.
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