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Mavericks get career game from undrafted guard in play-in victory

Drew Bishop

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Mavericks get career game from undrafted guard in play-in victory image

The Mavericks have experienced some lows lately, it's only right they get a few highs too. 

10-seeded Dallas visited Sacramento for the first round of the play-in tournament and defeated the Kings 120-106.

After trading Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving suffering a torn ACL, the Mavs rely on players like Anthony Davis, PJ Washington, or Klay Thompson to carry the load.

But on Wednesday night, it was an undrafted player who has spent most of his career on a two-way contract who led the charge.

Brandon Williams, a point guard out of the University of Arizona, had a career night going for 17 points (3-4 3p), 5 assists, and a +/- of 24. 

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What is Brandon Williams' history in the NBA?

Since he joined the league in 2021, Williams has been playing the majority of his career on 10-day and two-way contracts. He's been a part of franchises like the Portland Trail Blazers and the Orlando Magic.

In December of 2023, he signed a two-way contract with the Mavericks and was a part of their team that went to the 2024 NBA Finals. He was resigned for the 2024-25 season and had a career-high in March, dropping 31 points in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. On April 8th, Dallas signed Williams to his first multi-year contract in the league.

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Now, he could be drawing some looks as a rotational piece for the Mavericks next year. Especially when you consider Kyrie Irving's recovery from injury to last into 2026, Dallas will be looking for a reliable piece at point guard. He got minutes over veteran Spencer Dinwiddie and Jaden Hardy in a win-or-go-home game.

There's been a lot of negativity surrounding the Mavericks, but Williams could be one of the few bright spots in a dreary season.

Drew Bishop

Drew Bishop is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. After graduating from the Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University, he worked in local media in Sandusky, Ohio at BCSN and the Sandusky Register, freelancing as a reporter, broadcast director and play-by-play commentator for high school sports. He then moved on to KRIS 6 News where he serves as a producer in the news department.