Report: Louisville Guard Carlik Jones Signs UDFA Deal with Mavericks

The former Cardinals ball handler is heading to Dallas after going undrafted.

(Photo of Carlik Jones: Bob Donnan - USA TODAY Sports)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After going unselected in the 2021 NBA Draft, former Louisville guard Carlik Jones has signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Dallas Mavericks, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Jones was one of two Cardinals to declare for this year's draft, alongside backcourt mate David Johnson, who was taken by the Toronto Raptors with the No. 47 overall pick in the second round.

While his crafty game and tendency to show up in big moments made him an enticing draft prospect, his 6-foot-1, 185-pound frame was viewed as a significant drawback. As a result, he was generally regarded as one who would indeed go undrafted.

Related: Carlik Jones 2021 Draft Profile

Coming over from Radford during the previous offseason, the Cincinnati, Oh. native quickly established himself as one of the best players in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He averaged 16.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, while shooting 40.2% from the field and 32.1% on three-point attempts. He was only player in the ACC to rank among the top six in scoring, assists, assists/turnovers ratio and free throw percentage.

Jones was named a First Team All-ACC selection, becoming the third Cardinal to be receive the honor, joining Nwora in 2020 and Donovan Mitchell in 2017. He received the third-highest votes and finished tied for second in the conference player of the year vote.

Prior to joining Louisville, the Cincinnati native was regarded as the top graduate transfer during the 2020 offseason. He averaged 20.0 points, 5.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game in his redshirt junior year at Radford, winning Big South Player of the Year.

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