On Sunday, the Dallas Mavericks suffered a blowout loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Dallas was at home, the Sixers remained without Joel Embiid, and everyone on the Mavs was healthy. Despite all this, Dallas lost him 120-116, and a fourth-quarter comeback wasn't enough to clinch the victory.
The lack of energy led to this, and the Mavs made roster changes immediately after the game.
The Mavs converted AJ Lawson's two-way contract to a standard contract to fill out their 15-man roster. The move freed up a two-way spot for the Mavs, making today the last day a player could sign a two-way contract with the team.
The Mavs have signed former Los Angeles Lakers winger Alex Fudge to a two-way contract, according to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Fudge is still playing for the South Bay Lakers this season as he was on a two-way contract in Los Angeles, adding another wing to the Mavs' roster.
Fudge only appeared in four games with the Los Angeles Lakers this season, but he was productive defensively in the G League while playing in the South Bay. This season in the G League, Fudge is averaging 8.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 46.7 percent from the field.
Fudge's offensive stats aren't outstanding, but his 1.6 blocks per game as a winger is impressive. He has a 7-foot wingspan and can play both power forward and small forward positions. Fudge is a good athlete and a solid scorer in transition. He's an underrated lob threat, but his 3-point shooting has been inconsistent this season.
Adding a defensive-minded forward to this Mavs team was a good idea, but players on two-way contracts are ineligible for the playoffs, so if he does score, it will only be in the regular season. The Mavs' defense has been abysmal since the All-Star break, despite the boost provided by P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, and perhaps Fudge could develop into a part of Dallas' rotation someday.
Stay tuned for updates on Alex Fudge and the Dallas Mavericks this season.
