Dallas Mavericks Make Big Contract Decision on Emerging Former Lotto Pick

Marquese Chriss Mavericks Nikola Jokic

Getty Dallas Mavericks big man Marquese Chriss defends Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.

The Dallas Mavericks finally look to be nearing the end of their latest brush with an NBA-wide COVID-19 outbreak. As of this writing, only Kristaps Porzingis — who entered health and safety protocols on January 3 — is on the shelf as a result of the virus.

With the star big man still on the outs, the Mavs will reportedly re-up with a former lottery pick who has played well for the club amid its Covid struggle. Namely, sixth-year power forward Marquese Chiss.

According to a report by Marc Stein, Dallas will sign Chriss to another 10-day hardship deal. The contract will be his third such deal with the club, which originally signed him on December 21.

While keeping Chriss in the fold may have been a formality due to the Porzingis situation, the 24-year-old’s recent play definitely warranted the Mavs continuing their partnership with him. More than that, it may serve as motivation for keeping him around for the remainder of the campaign.


A Strong Fit in the Big D

Chriss entered the league as a top 10 pick and a player whose size, length and athleticism had scouts drooling. Even now — after he’s bounced around the league over the last few years, raising questions about his character along the way — those attributes are still apparent whenever Chriss gets a chance to play.

Especially when he’s doing so for a team like the Mavs, who are definitely lacking some athleticism in their frontcourt.

Going beyond his physical talents, though, Chriss has simply played well whenever Jason Kidd has given him an opportunity. Over his 10 appearances with Dallas to date, he’s averaging 18.5 points and 12.4 rebounds per 36 minutes. Meanwhile, he has connected on 57.8% of his shot attempts overall and 4-of-10 from three.

He has been particularly good around the basket, though. Chriss has attempted more than half of his shots within three feet of the hoop, converting those attempts at a 73.9% clip. For a team like the Mavs, who only score 39% of their points in the paint (fourth-lowest league-wide), that’s no small thing.

Once Chriss’ hardship run ends, the Mavs will have to open up a roster spot in order to keep him on a standard deal. As it stands, the smart money would be on the team waiving fellow big man Willie Cauley-Stein to do so. However, Cauley-Stein (and/or an open roster spot) could also be important to the team’s trade deadline dealings.

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Chriss Has Been Thankful for His Opportunity

Although Chriss’ attitude on the court and behind the scenes has played a big role in what, to this point, has been a disappointing career, he has been humble in his latest return with Dallas.

“At the end of the day I’m doing what I love and I get to be able to play basketball again,” Chriss said following a recent win, via Mavs.com. “Truthfully, it’s been a really long year as far as just coming back from an injury.

“Being able to be back on the court, I’m just thankful for that. And I’m just trying to make the most out of the opportunity that I can. Hopefully it’s here.”

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