Dallas Mavericks are expected to sign veteran guard Trey Burke ahead of the NBA season restart, according to multiple reports. The news comes after Mavs’ center Willie Cauley-Stein opted to sit out the remainder of 2019/20, opening a roster spot for the team.
Burke fills the need for Mavericks, whose backcourt depth has been seriously affected by injuries. Dallas previously lost backup Jalen Brunson to a shoulder injury back in February, while Brunson’s backup Courtney Lee is also out due to calf injury.
This will be Burke’s second stint with Mavs, as he spent a portion of the last season in Dallas and averaged 9.7 points and 2.6 assists in 25 games.
The 27-year-old point guard started the 2019/20 with the Philadelphia 76ers but was waived by the team back in February.
Mavericks acquired Willie Cauley-Stein from the Golden State Warriors back in January, after their starting center Dwight Powell suffered a season-ending injury. Cauley-Stein managed to play only 13 games with Dallas before the season was suspended, averaging 5.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
However, Cauley-Stein made the decision not to join Mavs for the season resume as he is set to become a father next month.
In the previous days, a number of NBA players made the decision not to join their teams in Orlando. The list includes Washington Wizards’ Davis Bertans, Portland Trail Blazers’ Trevor Ariza, and Los Angeles Lakers’ Avery Bradley.
