The Dallas Mavericks opened a roster spot on Saturday by waiving John Poulakidas from his two-way contract. Some fans were caught off guard by the move, as Poulakidas had shown some real flashes of being a lethal shooter.
However, Poulakidas was a healthy scratch in the second preseason game while every other healthy player played. That seemed to put the writing on the wall that his time with the Mavs would likely be coming to an end.
There were also rumors throughout the offseason that Poulakidas might head overseas to play in Greece for a larger contract, though it was believed that he'd wait a year for that. We'll have to wait to see if he gets picked up by another NBA team or if he decides to play internationally.
The Mavericks will have plenty of options to fill this opening.
One thing that they won't be able to do is waive Moussa Cisse in hopes of bringing him back on a two-way contract. There is an NBA rule that prohibits teams from waiving players on guaranteed contracts above a certain amount to then bring them back on a two-way.
However, if the Mavericks did waive Cisse, another team would be able to sign him to a two-way. NBA rules are weird.
Anyways, with Cisse not being an option for the final two-way spot, who could be an option?
Oct 16, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Seth Lundy (31) looks on during the second half against the Atlanta Hawks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
As part of the wave of transactions with Poulakidas' waiving, the Mavericks also waived guard Seth Lundy.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Mavericks are open to bringing Lundy back on a two-way contract.
Lundy was drafted 46th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, but has only played in nine games throughout his career due to various injuries. He was initially drafted by the Atlanta Hawks, whom the Mavericks played in their final preseason game on Friday, but he was also on a two-way contract with the LA Clippers for a few months in 2025.
The Mavericks initially signed him to an Exhibit-10 contract, but he must have made a strong enough impression in practices for the Mavericks to consider bringing him back.
Lundy did appear in all four preseason games, averaging 5.5 PPG in about 12 minutes per game. To show how much confidence they have in him, they actually drew up the game-tying three-point attempt against the New Orleans Pelicans for him, but his shot rimmed out.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/mavericks/onsi as One Option Mavericks Are Exploring For Open Two-Way Roster Spot .
