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The Dallas Mavericks are adding a sprinkle of Oriental flavor to their roster. According to Tim Cato of The Athletic, the Mavs have signed Chinese star and forward Ding Yanyuhang to a deal.
The Mavericks have signed Ding Yanyuhang, who appeared on their summer league team in 2017.
— tim cato (@tim_cato) July 24, 2018
While the specifics of Yanyuhang's contract have not been revealed yet, it could be of a two-way nature, as the Mavericks have recently just traded Johnathan Motley to the L.A. Clippers, opening up a two-way slot. However, there’s still space on Dallas’ roster to accommodate a player on a standard contract, leaving a possibility for Yanyuhang to be part of the team’s regular lineup this coming season.
While Ding Yanyuhang is a name that barely rings a bell for most NBA fans, he is a sensation back in his homeland, per China.org.cn.
Ding has won the Chinese Basketball Association's MVP award the past two seasons for the Shandong Golden Stars, averaging 26.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game in 2017-18 while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from three.
The Mavericks are scheduled to play the Philadelphia 76ers in an exhibition game in China this coming October, so it makes sense for the Mavs to sign Yanyuhang, especially if the intention is to boost ticket sales and drive more Chinese fans to watch the matchup.
Having said that, Yanyuhang could be more than just a gimmicky addition by the Mavs. The 24-year-old swingman impressed the Mavs last year during a brief Summer League stint with the team, and could be an option for the team to add depth to their thin small forward slot with only Harrison Barnes and Dorian Finney-Smith sharing the role as of now.
