Heading into NBA training camp this year it was no secret that the Dallas Mavericks were on the lookout for another ball handler. The team has Luka Doncic and Spencer Dinwiddie locked into starting spots, but their backcourt suffered a huge loss with Jalen Brunson signing a free-agent deal with the New York Knicks.
Without Brunson, the Mavericks are left dangerously thin in the backcourt. Frank Ntilikina is the only other player with point guard experience on the roster behind the projected starting backcourt.
Dallas was hopeful that someone else would emerge as a capable performer with Tim Hardaway Jr. and Josh Green being two possible options. But, they must not have liked what they saw, so the Mavericks dipped into the free-agent pool to bring another veteran into the mix.
They landed on Facundo Campazzo, as the two sides agreed to a one-year deal likely worth the veteran’s minimum. At this point, it is not known whether or not the deal is fully guaranteed or not.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Facundo Campazzo, Luka Doncic & Dallas Mavericks Updates
Campazzo will fill the 15th spot on their roster, and while the other 14 players have fully guaranteed deals, the Mavericks could opt to make Campazzo’s deal non-guaranteed so that they can retain some roster flexibility.
Campazzo has spent the last two seasons in the NBA with the Denver Nuggets. He averaged 5.6 points, 3.5 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 130 games, 23 of which were starts. Campazzo did struggle shooting the ball, as he made only 37.2 percent of his shots overall, but he is a capable ball handler to have for emergencies on the bench.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Facundo Campazzo, Luka Doncic & Dallas Mavericks Updates
His relationship with Doncic likely played a part as well. He and Doncic played together for Real Madrid from 2015-2018 and are considered friends. That likely gave Campazzo an edge over the other veterans that were being considered.
The Argentinian veteran will provide Jason Kidd with an experienced backup that can run the offense in a pinch. That is all you can ask for as the 15th man on the roster, as Dallas looks to improve upon their Western Conference Finals trip last season.
