The Dallas Mavericks announced their Las Vegas Summer League roster on Friday, and there are several fun additions to the group.
Ryan Nembhard, John Poulakidas and Tyler Smith are some existing Mavs that fans might remember from last season. Nembhard, who busted onto the scene at Summer League last year alongside Cooper Flagg, will likely run a lot of point for the Mavericks early on in the summer. Poulakidas came on later in the season last year,
and has earned another go with the Mavs this offseason. Tyler Smith, who also joined the Mavericks late last season, is also in for Summer League.
The fun here is in the rookies that the Mavericks selected in last month’s NBA Draft. Ninth overall selection Morez Johnson Jr. will debut for Dallas in Summer League, and he will be flanked by 25th overall pick Sergio de Larrea. The Spainard was last seen winning the ACB title with Valencia, and is coming over to join the summer Mavs. My expectation is that he will sign an NBA contract here soon, as well.
The Mavericks second round selections will also be joining the squad. Tobi Lawal is the extremely athletic forward from Virginia Tech. I can almost guarantee he will do something incredible in Summer League, whether it be a dunk or a block. And perhaps the most shocking development, Russian prospect Vsevolod Ischenko will be joining the Mavs in Vegas. Ischenko is a 6’8” guard that is an interesting dart throw for the Mavs. Now, don’t get your hopes up immediately, as he will likely be stashed in Europe again this year, but it will be fun to see exactly what they’ve got in him right now.
Overall, there is a strong international flavor on this roster. Three Spainards, a Russian, a Canadian, a Nigerian and an Englishman will all be in Vegas. Should at least be an entertaining watch! Be sure and follow along with us here at Mavs Moneyball as we take you through the Las Vegas Summer League.
