The Dallas Mavericks roster is set with 15 NBA contracts. However, the Mavs are rumored to still have interest in bringing Markieff Morris back. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, AJ Lawson is the “most vulnerable player” in the event that Dallas opts to make room for Morris on the roster.
Lawson was previously on a two-way contract. Dallas saw his potential and converted his deal to an NBA contract during the 2023-24 season. Lawson is only 24 years old and has an intriguing ceiling. So why would Dallas consider bringing Morris back instead of keeping Lawson on the roster?
Markieff Morris' underlying impact on Mavericks
The Mavericks just finished their NBA Summer League campaign. Before Summer League began, a number of young players mentioned that Morris has been a pivotal leader for the roster. In fact, a number of players who were on the Mavericks this past season often discussed Morris' impact on the team.
Morris, 34, did not receive many minutes during the 2023-24 campaign. He averaged just 8.3 minutes per outing. Nevertheless, his leadership was unquestionably crucial to Dallas.
Morris seems to share the Mavs' interest in a reunion, as it was previously reported that the veteran was recruiting his brother Marcus to Dallas. Morris likely would not have done that if he wanted to join a different team.
The Mavericks' roster situation would make it difficult to add both Markieff and Marcus. Still, Dallas seems to have legitimate interest in re-signing Markieff.
AJ Lawson's potential will give Dallas something to consider, however. He has displayed signs of becoming a reliable NBA player. Lawson still has room to improve, but there is a reason Dallas converted his contract this past season.
Again, the Mavs roster is set as the team prepares for the 2024-25 season. The Markieff Morris-AJ Lawson situation will be worth closely monitoring over the next few weeks, however.
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