The Dallas Mavericks have agreed to a deal with free-agent guard Trey Burke, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The franchise is currently at a maximum of 15 players and would have needed to waive one from the roster before Sunday's deadline to complete the signing.
Mavs center Willie Cauley-Stein will sit out the resumption of the season, opening up that spot for Burke to slide right into the 15-man roster. Cauley-Stein and his partner are expecting a newborn child in July, which makes it a crucial time to be away from his family.
The Mavs had been looking for a backup point guard to fill in for the injured Jalen Brunson, who is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Burke, who averaged 9.7 points and 2.6 assists in 25 games for the Mavericks last season, seemed like a fitting piece to take to Orlando, as the Mavs are one of the 13 Western Conference teams invited to take part on the restart.
A former National Player of the Year during his time at the University of Michigan, Burke had a rough go in his first few seasons in the league but flourished during his brief time with the rebuilding New York Knicks — going from a two-way prospect to a starter in a matter of weeks.
Burke played 25 games with the Philadelphia 76ers this season but posted a career-worst 5.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in a deep reserve role.
This time around, Burke could see decent minutes backing up Luka Doncic at the point guard spot, likely sneaking ahead of veteran J.J. Barea upon signing with the team.
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