The Dallas Mavericks will be without one of their big men when the season restart begins, but they will also have a new guard in the mix when that happens, too.
Per The Athletic’s Shams Charania, center Willie Cauley-Stein is opting out of the season restart because he and his partner are expecting a baby in July. Additionally, former lottery pick Trey Burke said on July 1 that he has signed a deal with the Mavs for the rest of the 2019-20 season.
Cauley-Stein is in his first season with the Mavericks and is averaging 5.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 68.9% overall in 13 games. He spent the first 41 games of the season with the Golden State, averaging 7.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg and 1.2 blocks per game in 37 starts for the Warriors. Dallas acquired him via a trade on Jan. 25.
Since coming over to the Mavericks, Cauley-Stein’s role has been that of a backup big man and he had yet to play more than 25 minutes in a game with Dallas. The Mavs have been thin on the front line since losing big man Dwight Powell to a ruptured right Achilles tendon in January.
Burke, the former No. 9 pick of the 2013 draft, appeared in 25 games with the Philadelphia 76ers this season before being waived on Feb. 6. He averaged 5.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg and 2.1 apg for the 76ers while shooting 46.5% overall and 42.1% on 3-pointers. He will join a Dallas guard corps that includes All-Star Luka Doncic and veterans Tim Hardaway Jr., Delon Wright and Seth Curry.
The Mavericks needed help in the backcourt after veteran guard Courtney Lee injured his left calf during the season’s hiatus. The team has not announced a timetable for his return other than saying he wouldn’t be available when workouts start up again July 1.
