Dallas Mavericks Free Agent Agrees to Sign With Denver Nuggets

The Dallas Mavericks are one of just a few remaining teams that have yet to make any moves in free agency, only agreeing to trades. However, we finally have our first Mav on the move as Marvin Bagley III has agreed to sign with the Denver Nuggets, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

Bagley came over as part of the Anthony Davis salary dump with the Washington Wizards and had some highlight moments in Dallas, averaging 11.0 PPG and 6.8 RPG in his 22 games with the Mavs.

He even set a franchise record with 8 offensive rebounds in his first appearance after the trade, the most for any Maverick in a debut.

Free agent center Marvin Bagley III has agreed to a one-year deal with the Denver Nuggets, sources tell ESPN. A critical frontcourt addition for the Nuggets. pic.twitter.com/enHBVxgfYl
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 2, 2026

It's a one-year deal for Bagley, though the terms haven't been reported yet. He was expected to earn around the taxpayer midlevel, which is roughly $6 million.

Bagley gives the Nuggets a solid backup, and his athleticism will be a nice change of pace behind Nikola Jokic.

The Nuggets do still have Jonas Valanciunas on the roster, but only $2 million of his contract is guaranteed. It becomes fully guaranteed on July 8th, so there's a chance they could waive him before then. There were talks of him going overseas last year, and the Nuggets potentially waiving him this year could provide him that opportunity.

Apr 8, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Marvin Bagley III (35) against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Marvin Bagley, An Expected Loss in Free Agency for the Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks are heavily overcrowded in the frontcourt, so it's no surprise that Marvin Bagley III was allowed to walk, even if he can still be useful.

Bagley will never live up to the hype of being the second overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, one pick ahead of Luka Doncic, but he can still be a decent rotational big.

He struggles on ball-screen defense, but his breathtaking athleticism allows for lobs and putbacks that not a lot of players can compete with. Denver could experiment with lineups of him and Aaron Gordon on the lineup, which would be fun to watch, the dunks they could throw down.

Dallas will still need a third pure center on the roster, as Dereck Lively II's injury history can't be trusted. Daniel Gafford could even be on the move.

Even while 9th overall pick Morez Johnson Jr. and recently traded for Santi Aldama could take some minutes there, bringing back someone like Moussa Cisse would make a lot of sense for depth.

We're still waiting on the Mavericks to make their first move in free agency, as they have the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception available, worth up to $15 million.

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