Why Mavs Should Sign Luka Samanic to Final Roster Spot
What’s better than one Luka? Two Lukas … right?
The Dallas Mavericks haven’t done much since free agency began on June 30, and they still have an open spot to fill on the 15-man roster. If the Mavs don’t think they have a real shot of getting into the mix for Utah Jazz or Brooklyn Nets leftovers when/if Donovan Mitchell and Kevin Durant get traded, perhaps they should shift their attention to taking chances on younger, cheaper talent.
Remember the name Luka Samanic? The 6-10 Croatian forward was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 18th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. For a number of reasons, Samanic and the Spurs just weren’t a good match for each other. San Antonio waived him in 2021 after just two seasons.
After signing a two-way contract with the New York Knicks, Samanic averaged 28.1 points, 10.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in the G League for the Westchester Knicks. The 22-year-old shot 55.2 percent from the field, 41.5 percent from deep, and 90.1 percent from the free-throw line. He was waived by the Knicks in March.
When it comes to having young talent on the roster, the Mavs only have a few guys who meet that description, including Luka Doncic (23), Josh Green (21) and Frank Ntilikina (24). Everyone else is either 30 years old or close to it — even Dallas’ recent two-way contract signed Tyler Dorsey, who will turn 27 in February.
Given the upside Samanic has shown in the G League, it could just be a matter of time before he gets another shot at sticking on an NBA roster. He has the talent, he just has to put it all together and find the right opportunity. Signing him to a cheap, multi-year contract with no guarantees beyond the first year wouldn’t hurt anything, even if the Mavs decided to move on before that first year is up.
Maybe the third time will be the charm for Samanic, and maybe the Mavs will end up being the team to give him that next chance. What do they really have to lose?
You can follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter at @dalton_trigg
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