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Mavs Moves Including Signing Of Free Agent Son Of Ex-Dallas Star
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- Mavs Moves Including Signing Of Free Agent Son Of Ex-Dallas Star
DALLAS — The very busy Dallas Mavericks are at it again.
They waived 21-year-old wing Tyler Smith on Monday - nothing too surprising there - and then with the roster opening used their final two-way roster spot to sign Jett Howard .
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This relatively minor move comes on the heels of the weekend trade that saw Dallas send Ryan Nembhard and a future second-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team swap that brought former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher to Dallas.
What's the attraction to Howard here?
Well, for one thing, he played one season with the Michigan Wolverines - who were once coached by new Dallas boss Dusty May - before being taken with the 11th pick of the 2023 NBA Draft.
He played for three seasons in Orlando , and 133 games with the Magic, Howard has averaged 4.5 points and 1.2 rebounds in 11 minutes per game.
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Last season he made a bit of a leap as the 6-8 former first-rounder was good for 5.5 points, 1.6 rebounds, 41.8% field goal shooting and 37.2% three-point shooting.
But the writing was probably on the wall for him before the season when Orlando declined Howard's fourth-year team option.
That would make him an unrestricted free agent once the Magic's season ended ...
Enter Dallas.
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This move is obviously about upside. sho Howard is still just a 22-year-old with some explosive athletic ability.
And now, as he joins the Mavericks, Howard will work under May and alongside recent first-round pick Morez Johnson Jr. , furthering the fun idea of the "Michigan Mavs.''
There is another connection in Dallas here, as Jett is the son of NBA veteran Juwan Howard , the former Mav who coached his son in Ann Arbor.
Howard now joins John Poulakidas and the 48th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Tobi Lawal, as the Mavericks' two-way players as the team preps for training camp in the fall.
What the Mavericks Are Really Getting in Zaccharie Risacher Trade
