The Dallas Mavericks will retain most of their roster from last year, but they’ll be without one of their franchise players for the majority of the regular season.
The challenges the Mavericks will face without Kyrie Irving are well-known around the NBA. They’ll lack their primary creator and one of the best finishers, 3-point shooters and closers in the league. They’ll try to compensate for those holes with Anthony Davis and a core featuring Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford and more.
No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and veteran guard D’Angelo Russell are the team’s featured newcomers, but there are several fresh faces rounding out the end of the roster.
The Mavericks used two of their three available two-way slots shortly after the NBA draft to sign guards Ryan Nembhard and Miles Kelly. They have one two-way contract remaining going into training camp, which begins Sept. 30 on the campus of Simon Fraser University in Vancouver.
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That coveted slot could go to any of their training camp signees, most of whom played for the Mavericks’ summer league team in July. Dallas’ front office has converted an Exhibit 10 deal to a two-way contract in each of the last three training camps, including Jazian Gortman (2024), Dexter Dennis and Greg Brown (2023) and McKinley Wright (2022).
Before the 2021-22 season, the Mavericks hadn’t converted a training camp deal for the previous four years. It’s apparent that the Mavericks are strategic with that final two-way slot, which offers a level of flexibility going into the season opener.
Here is a current look at the Mavericks’ two-way players and training camp signees:
Ryan Nembhard
Some of you may be familiar with Andrew Nembhard, the Indiana Pacers guard coming off his first NBA Finals appearance.
The Mavericks signed his younger brother, Ryan, to a two-way contract and the 6-foot guard put his offensive talents on display during summer league. Nembhard’s time in Las Vegas was understandably cut short after just three games, averaging 11.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists. Nembhard excelled as a primary ballhandler and initiator and managed to find his preferred spots on the floor despite his size.
The Mavericks have plenty of point guards heading into training camp, including D’Angelo Russell, Dante Exum, Jaden Hardy, Brandon Williams and Dennis Smith Jr. As it currently stands, it’ll be tough for Nembhard to crack the rotation this season.
Miles Kelly
Kelly went undrafted in 2025 and signed a two-way contract with the Mavericks shortly before summer league. The former Auburn guard spent his senior season playing for the Tigers after attending Georgia Tech for the first three seasons of his college career.
Known for his 3-point shooting, Kelly averaged 11.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 38 games for Auburn on its run to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament and shot 38.7% from beyond the arc.
Kelly is one of three players on this list to appear in all five summer league games. He averaged 12.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.2 steals in those contests. He didn’t shoot as well as he’s capable of, but his role fluctuated based on Flagg and Nembhard’s availability. Kelly’s perimeter shooting is an asset that could bode well on the Mavericks, who have a desperate need for players who can stretch the floor.
Dallas Mavericks’ Gabe McGlothan (46), Jordan Hall (37), Moussa Cissé (45), Matthew Cleveland (35) and Ryan Nembhard (9) look on during the second half of an NBA summer league basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday, July 10, 2025, in Las Vegas.
David Becker / AP
Moussa Cisse
The Mavericks have a plethora of big men, perhaps even the most loaded frontcourt in the league. That being said, last season’s injury crisis proved that you can never have enough depth on your roster.
Cisse, a 6-11 center, played five years of college basketball with two seasons at Memphis, two at Oklahoma State and one season with Ole Miss. In Las Vegas, the big man averaged 5.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in five games. He has ridiculous length, boasting a 7-5 wingspan that gives him the potential to be a formidable rim protector.
Cisse fits the Mavericks’ new defensive philosophy and would be a candidate for the team’s third two-way spot.
Matthew Cleveland
Cleveland was also a member of the Mavericks’ summer league team. The 6-7 wing averaged 6.8 points, 4.0 rebounds in 17.3 minutes during his four-game stint in Las Vegas, including his breakout performance of 17 points, four rebounds and two steals in 25 minutes off the bench against the Orlando Magic.
Cleveland spent his college years in the ACC. He averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 117 games (88 starts) across his four-year college career with Florida State (2021-23) and Miami (2023-25).
D’Moi Hodge
The Mavericks announced the signing of Hodge on Friday. The 6-4 guard spent last season with Greek club Aris Thessaloniki.
Hodge is already familiar with a handful of Mavericks. He reunites with Davis, Max Christie and Russell after spending the 2023-24 season on a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Hodge is the first British Virgin Islander to play in the NBA and he had a five-year college career. He began his college career at State College of Florida, spent two seasons at Cleveland State and finished at Missouri, where he led the Tigers to an opening-round win over Utah State in the NCAA tournament.
Dennis Smith Jr.
A fan favorite is back in Dallas, at least for the duration of training camp. Smith, who was selected by the Mavericks with the 9th overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft, agreed to a deal last week.
He joins a logjammed backcourt group in Dallas and will compete for the opportunity to return to the NBA after spending last season playing in Europe with Real Madrid. Known for his elite athleticism earlier in his career, Smith has transformed into a solid defensive guard. He still has the ability to run an offense, which the Mavericks will need while Irving is sidelined.
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