The Dallas Mavericks are interested in veteran point guard Facu Campazzo, per reports

As first reported by the website Encestando and confirmed by Marc Stein, the Dallas Mavericks are interested in veteran point guard Facu Campazzo. The 31 year old Argentinian guard played his last two seasons with the Denver Nuggets. In 130 NBA games, he’s averaged 5.6 points and 3.5 assists.

As noted by Stein, he’s recieved Euroleague interest from both his former team in Real Madrid and from Fenerbahce. It’s unclear what role he’d have with either of those teams, but the recent decision to start the year with Spencer Dinwiddie on the bench, it speaks to a lack of Maverick confidence in back up ball handlers in terms of what the team has seen in training camp and preseason.

Marc Stein confirms this in a follow up tweet, noting “The Mavs came into camp hoping to leave open one roster spot and give players under contract first crack at PG minutes unclaimed by Luka Doncic and Spencer Dinwiddie.”

Earlier this summer, owner Mark Cuban told DallasBasketball.com, ““People forget we have Frank (Ntilikina), who will be better this year,” in response to a question about needing a third ball handler. Through two preaseason games, Ntilikina has played 23 minutes and posted no assists to go along with three turnovers. It’s safe to say that both he and Josh Green have not impressed in back up ball handler roles.

Though I’ve been impressed with how the Mavericks have played to date in preseason, this is an unforced error. To have confidence in Green and Ntilikina as back up ball handlers speaks to believing in abilities which haven’t been shown in games to date. Ntilikina in particular has had years to be a point guard. He’s not one. He’s a three-and-D wing. Green is at the least young and somewhat untested. Green also has playmaking chops he’s displayed.

Campazzo as an option largely doesn’t make sense. The team the front office has assembled has the consistent thread of length. The smallest players are Jaden Hardy and Frank Ntilikina, each at 6’4” and each with good wingspans. Campazzo is a mere 5’10”. And while the Mavericks have had success in past years with smaller players, that was under a different coach and front office. It must also be noted that Campazzo simply cannot shoot, connecting on 37% of his shots from anywhere on the floor.

While the Mavericks may be weighing this as an option, the back up ball handling minutes have not been so dire as to break form of what Dallas is trying to build. The Mavericks have made a variety of decisions to get to this point and signing of Campazzo would be an admittance of those decisions already not panning out. Perhaps the Mavericks will sign Campazzo, but as of this writing it’s hard to see it actually happening.