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The Dallas Mavericks have signed guard Maalik Wayns according to a press release from the team. Wayns, 26, is a 6-foot-2 guard with 29 NBA games under his belt over two seasons. He last played in the league in 2014.
Last season, he was the starting point guard for Israel’s Maccabi Rishon where he averaged 15.1 points, 4.1 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 30.1 minutes in 16 games. He shot 44.5 percent from the floor and 41.3 percent from behind-the-arc.
This isn’t Wayns first stint with the Mavericks. He was a member of Dallas’ Las Vegas Summer League squad in 2015. I had this to say about Wayns’ performance in Vegas at the time:
Despite not getting the starting nod for any of Dallas' games, Wayns was far and away their best point guard. He has the handles to shake defenders and the speed to get to the rim and finish. However, his speed is also his worst enemy. At times, Wayns simply played to fast and let his body get too far in front of his thought process. It's an issue that can be remedied and despite his sub par numbers against the Hawks today some team will certainly take a chance on him.
If Wayns can replicate the numbers he put up in Israel, he might have a chance at a regular season roster spot. More than likely, though, he’ll find himself on the Texas Legends after the preseason.