Nicolas Brussino is expected to make the Mavericks’ roster after contract fully guarantees

Argentinian forward Nicolas Brussino is expected to make the Mavericks’ 15-man roster after Dallas allowed his contract to become fully guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein.

Brussino’s deal is for three years, but only part of the first year was guaranteed. The rest of the contract became fully guaranteed at 5 p.m. on Thursday, and the Mavericks allowing that deadline to pass indicates Brussino will not be a victim when Dallas chops its roster to 15 players on Saturday. Brussino is making a league minimum $543,471. His remaining two years are both still non-guaranteed.

Brussino has been the most impressive fringe player so far in preseason. The rookie scored 11 points against Oklahoma City, and opened preseason with a 13-point performance. He’s a quality shooter and stands a lanky 6’8.

There’s no telling if Brussino will actually develop into an actual NBA player, but he certainly has the highest upside out of anyone of the Mavericks have brought into camp. The other realistic candidates gunning for the 15th spot are Jonathan Gibson and Dorian Finney-Smith, although Rick Carlisle says it’s still a four or five player battle.

The Mavericks will make their final cuts after Friday’s preseason game or the following morning.