The Dallas Mavericks have taken a chance on JaVale McGee, the supremely athletic big man who cemented a regular spot on “Shaqtin’ A Fool” for his many bloopers. McGee signed a two-year minimum contract with a team option for the second year, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein.
JaVale McGee signs with Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks will take a flyer on the former Wizards and Nuggets center.
Dallas is looking for help in the middle after seeing Clippers big man DeAndre Jordan go back on a verbal agreement to sign with the team earlier in free agency. Dallas traded for Milwaukee’s Zaza Pachulia to start and signed Samuel Dalembert to provide depth, but McGee will certainly push for backup minutes if he is healthy and has matured.
McGee showed promise early in his career after being drafted by the Washington Wizards, but he never capitalized on it. He soon became known for a series of mind-boggling mistakes, most notably running the wrong way after his team grabbed an offensive rebound.
He wore out his welcome in D.C. and was traded to the Nuggets in 2012. A strong playoff run convinced the Nuggets to hand McGee a four-year, $44 million contract that summer, but he failed to develop and eventually was bought out after missing nearly a full season with a stress fracture in his left leg. He signed with the 76ers in Feb. 2015, but was let go once the season ended.
The Mavericks are hoping they can use McGee’s shot blocking and athleticism in short doses. He’s still only 27 and the Mavericks had success rehabilitating a similar kind of player in Brandan Wright. Perhaps they can get more out of McGee than his previous teams could.
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